The link between ultraprocessed foods and muscle health

Eating too much ultraprocessed food could take a toll on muscle health, according to new research published Tuesday in the journal Radiology.

Eating too much ultraprocessed food could take a toll on muscle health, according to new research published Tuesday in the journal Radiology.

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Ultraprocessed foods, which include salty snacks, sugary drinks and fast food, make up the majority of calories in Americans’ diets. The negative effects they have on heart health and diabetes risk is well-established.

“What is not so well-known is that diet also has a significant impact on musculoskeletal health,” said Dr. Thomas Link, chief of the musculoskeletal imaging section at the University of California San Francisco and the senior author of the study.