Ultraprocessed food intake a culprit in reduced handgrip strength in Asians

New research from Singapore shows that individuals with a higher intake of ultraprocessed foods (UPF) during their midlife years are likely to have lower handgrip strength in later life.

In an analysis of large data from the Singapore Chinese Health Study, participants in the highest vs lowest quintile of UPF consumption had a 0.411-kg decrease in absolute handgrip strength (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.148–0.674) and a 0.229-kg/m reduction in handgrip strength adjusted for height (95 percent CI, 0.071–0.387). [J Nutr Health Aging 2025;29:100634]

The odds of muscle weakness were 32 percent greater among participants in the highest vs lowest quintile of UPF consumption (odds ratio, 1.32, 95 percent CI, 1.15–1.53).

These associations persisted despite controlling for the participants’ diet quality.

The findings align with a prior study conducted in Tianjin, China, which similarly found that higher UPF intake correlated with a more rapid decline in handgrip strength. Additionally, three other studies have also linked greater UPF consumption to reduced muscle mass. [Eur J Nutr 2021;61:1331-1341; Nutrients 2023;15:14; Diabetes Metab J 2024;48:780-789; Eur J Nutr 2024;63:2621-2629]

“Together, these studies and ours provide evidence for the association between UPF and sarcopenia, a condition characterized by loss of muscle mass and strength in older adults,” according to the investigators.

They stressed that it is biologically plausible for UPFs to exert adverse effects on muscle health.

“Chemicals added to UPFs (eg, emulsifiers), formed during processing (eg, advanced glycation end products) or migrating from packaging (eg, phthalates) can cause inflammation and lower serum androgens, potentially reducing muscle strength,” they explained. [Bone 2015;80:67-78; J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 2014;99:4346-4352; J Food Sci Technol 2015;52:7561-7576; Gut 2017;66:1414-1427]

The analysis included 13,570 participants (mean age at baseline 53.2 years, 58.9 percent female) who were followed for a median of 21.2 years (mean age at follow-up 74.0 years). Intake of UPFs, defined according to the Nova classification, was evaluated at baseline using a validated 165-item food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Handgrip strength was measured during the follow-up using a digital grip strength dynamometer. Muscle weakness was defined as the lowest sex-specific quintile of handgrip strength.

At baseline, participants with higher UPF consumption were less likely to smoke or drink alcohol but more likely to have higher intake of energy, lower intake of caffeine, and lower scores on AHEI-2010 (p<0.001). Furthermore, those with muscle weakness were generally older, less educated, physically inactive, current smokers, never drinkers, and had a disease history.

The investigators acknowledged several study limitations, including the possible misclassification of UPF intake due to FFQ not being tailored to the Nova classification, as well as one-time diet and handgrip assessments that made it impossible to capture changes, among other things.