More fat stored in the thigh muscles may increase the risk of osteoarthritis in knees, researchers said.
ADVERTISEMENTConsuming ultra-processed foods may lead to higher amounts of fat in people’s thigh muscles, a new study has found.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the US analysed data from 666 individuals, who had an average age of 60 and participated in the Osteoarthritis Initiative but were not yet diagnosed with the condition or any pain.
The research, which was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) was linked to increased intramuscular fat in thigh muscles.
The link was observed regardless of participants’ calorie intake, body mass index (BMI), or physical activity levels.
“The novelty of this study is that it investigates the impact of diet quality, specifically the role of ultra-processed foods in relation to intramuscular fat in the thigh muscles assessed by MRI,” Dr Zehra Akkaya, a researcher in radiology at UCSF and the study’s author, said in a statement.
The diet was analysed using the NOVA classification that divides food and beverages into four categories depending on their level of processing.
Ultra-processed foods include breakfast cereals, soft drinks, and ready-to-eat meals among other heavily processed foods.
The study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the link between skeletal muscle quality and diet quality.
Previous research has shown that a decline in thigh muscle quality is potentially associated with the onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis, the researcher noted.
Osteoarthritis, a condition in which the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in the joints deteriorates leading to pain, has been “highly linked to obesity and unhealthy lifestyle choices,” the researcher said.
Other risk factors such as age, sex and a history of joint injuries can play a part, according to the Mayo Clinic.
However, “understanding this relationship could have important clinical implications, as it offers a new perspective on how diet quality affects musculoskeletal health,” Akkaya added.
Osteoarthritis isn’t the only condition that has been linked to an excess accumulation of fat in people’s muscles.
Intramuscular fat has been linked to both insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Otherresearch has linked an accumulation of fat in muscles to cardiovascular disease and muscle atrophy.
