You can use all the anti-aging creams you’d like, but a younger biological age may come from the inside out.

New research out of UC San Francisco discovered a connection between a nutrient-dense diet low in added sugar and younger biological age at the cellular level. The research was published July 29 in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers examined how three different evaluations of healthy eating impacted an "epigenetic clock" -- a biochemical test that can estimate health and lifespan. They discovered that the better people ate, the younger their cells appeared. However, despite eating a healthy diet, an increase in epigenetic age was seen with each gram of added sugar they consumed.

Dorothy Chiu, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health and first author of the study noted, "The diets we examined align with existing recommendations for preventing disease and promoting health, and they highlight the potency of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients in particular. From a lifestyle medicine standpoint, it is empowering to see how heeding these recommendations may promote a younger cellular age relative to chronological age."

Chiu’s study is initial research to connect the dots between added sugar and epigenetic aging, and the first to evaluate the association in a heterogeneous group of both black and white women in midlife. Other research in this area included older white subjects.

The research helps support the concept of why sugar is so bad for health, notes study co-senior author Elissa Epel, PhD, a UCSF professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Epel said, "We knew that high levels of added sugars are linked to worsened metabolic health and early disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor. Now we know that accelerated epigenetic aging is underlying this relationship, and this is likely one of many ways that excessive sugar intake limits healthy longevity."

Participants in the research reported eating roughly 61.5 grams of added sugar each day. The range for women was from 2.7 to 316 grams of added sugar each day. A chocolate bar has roughly 25 grams of added sugar, and a 12-ounce regular cola contains nearly 40 grams. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 50 grams of added sugar daily.

Use of Food Records

In this cross-sectional study, researchers evaluated food records from 342 Black and white female subjects with an average age of 39 years in Northern California. They then compared their diets with epigenetic clock measures, which were taken from saliva samples.

Women’s diets were scored by the researchers to see how they compared to a Mediterranean-style diet high in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods and then to a diet associated with a lower risk for chronic disease.

Finally, the women’s diets were scored against a measure they developed called the "Epigenetic Nutrient Index (ENI)," which is based on nutrients (not foods) that have been associated with anti-oxidative or anti-inflammatory processes and DNA maintenance and repair. Vitamins A, C, B12, and E, folate, selenium, magnesium, dietary fiber, and isoflavones were among those included.

Following the Mediterranean diet had the strongest link with lower epigenetic age, though any of the diets were significantly associated with lower epigenetic age. The researchers separately evaluated sugar consumption and found that eating foods with added sugar was linked with accelerated biological aging, even when consuming an otherwise healthy diet.

Senior author Barbara Laraia, PhD, RD, a UC Berkeley professor in the Food, Nutrition and Population Health program states, "Given that epigenetic patterns appear to be reversible, it may be that eliminating 10 grams of added sugar per day is akin to turning back the biological clock by 2.4 months, if sustained over time. Focusing on foods that are high in key nutrients and low in added sugars may be a new way to help motivate people to eat well for longevity."

Below are tips to de-sugar your diet:

1.       Get visual. Note that every 4 grams of added sugar listed on a food label equals one teaspoon.

2.       Start your morning with a low-sugar breakfast. Skip the granola and look for cereal under 5 grams of sugar per serving. Rolled oats, shredded wheat, or bran flakes are low-sugar choices.

3.       Go for plain Greek yogurt over the type with “fruit” on the bottom or add-ins like granola or mini chocolate pieces. Add frozen fruit and chopped nuts instead.

4.       Swap flavored seltzer water for sugary sweet soda. You’ll drop 10 grams of sugar from your diet instantly. While you’re at it, skip the sweetened sports drinks, too.

5.       Skip the sugary snacks between meals, like granola bars, cookies, and candy. Opt for mixed nuts, string cheese, or Greek yogurt and fruit.

6.       Add milk to coffee instead of sugar or sugar substitutes.

7.       Choose fresh or dried fruit after meals instead of heavy desserts.

8.       Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Sweet treats tend to be placed at the store entrance and are more tempting when you’re hungry.

9.       Include a variety of fruits and vegetables at every meal to increase nutrient intake.

10.   Don’t forget that honey, jelly, jam, and maple syrup also count as added sugar in your diet.

Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD

Reference:

1. Dorothy T. Chiu, Elissa June Hamlat, Joshua Zhang, Elissa S. Epel, Barbara A. Laraia. Essential Nutrients, Added Sugar Intake, and Epigenetic Age in Midlife Black and White Women. JAMA Network Open, 2024; 7 (7): e2422749 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.22749