A new study linked the consumption of ultra-processed foods to developing excess intramuscular fat, especially on the thighs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administrationconsists of ultra-processed foods, andchildren, on average, consumemore than half (60%) of their calories from them.
Numerous studies have linked ultra-processed food consumption to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart and chronic diseases and even cancer.
The findings of the Radiology study applied to all muscle groups, including the hamstrings, quadriceps and inner thighs, as well as belly size, also called the abdominal circumference, for both men and women.
However, the most impacted muscle was the inner thighs, also called adductors, followed by the hamstrings, also called flexors, the study found.
The authors published X-ray photographs of a 62-year-old woman's leg used for research purposes, providing a visual aid of how ultra-processed food consumption manifests in the body.
Researchers revealed that 87% of the woman's diet consisted of ultra-processed foods, including cold cereals, chocolate candy bars and soda, and that she participates in moderate amounts of exercise.
However, the high levels of ultra-processed foods in her body still led to a "marbling" effect, where fat accumulates and replaces healthy muscle tissue with weaker ones.
The increased fat accumulation puts her and thousands of others like her at greater risk of metabolic disease, while also making daily tasks more difficult, which could ultimately lead to a more sedentary lifestyle.
The marbling effect explains what happens to those diagnosed with myosteatosis, a condition where fat builds in muscle fibers.
Source: Drudge Report
