
Eating lots of ultra-processed foods appears linked to a buildup of fat in the thighs, which in turn raises a person’s odds for arthritis in the knees, new research shows. “In an adult population at risk for but without knee or hip osteoarthritis, consuming ultra-processed foods is linked to increased fat within the thigh muscles,” said study lead author and radiologist Dr. Zehra Akkaya, who conducted the research while at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her team presented the findings Wednesday in Chicago at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from whole foods, like saturated fats, starches and added sugars. They also contain a wide variety of additives to make them more tasty, attractive and shelf-stable, including colors, emulsifiers, flavors and stabilizers. Examples include packaged baked goods, sugary cereals, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products and deli cold cuts. As Akkaya’s team explained, it’s long been understood that the health of the thigh’s musculature plays a role in the development of arthritis in the knee. A buildup of fat within the thigh has been linked to a higher odds for knee arthritis. A decline in thigh muscles “is potentially associated with onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis,” Akkaya said in an RSNA news release, and “on MRI images, this decline can… read on > read on >