How cutting out one donut’s worth of sugar per day can make you biologically younger, according to fascinating new study

A study shows that cutting out just 10 grams of sugar a day can ‘significantly’ reduce your biological age.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, examined how a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as a diet loaded with sugar, affected the participants’ “epigenetic clock” in nearly 350 women.

This test uses saliva samples to estimate a person’s biological age (the age of your cells), based on changes in their DNA.

The team found that women who followed a Mediterranean diet had, on average, a “significantly lower” biological age than women who followed a high-sugar diet.

The researchers estimate that cutting out just 10 grams of added sugar a day — say, one Krispy Kreme doughnut — could turn back your biological clock by two months.

The research is part of a growing body of research showing that added sugars can age cells.

Dr. Elissa Epel, co-senior author of the study and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF, said, “We knew that high levels of added sugars were associated with poorer metabolic health and premature disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor.”

‘We now know that accelerated epigenetic aging underlies this relationship, and this is likely one of many ways in which excessive sugar intake limits healthy lifespan.’

The researchers collected self-reported dietary data from 342 women aged 36 to 43, with an average age of 39. Most of the women were also obese, with an average BMI of 32.5.

Nutrients measured included vitamins A, C, E and B12, as well as folate, zinc, selenium, magnesium, fiber and added sugars.

On average, participants reported consuming 61.5 percent added sugar daily, more than twice the amount recommended by the American Heart Association.

The team found that women who most frequently followed a Mediterranean diet, with an emphasis on foods high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, had the lowest biological ages.

Meanwhile, every gram of added sugar increased biological age. However, eliminating 10 grams a day — the equivalent of a Krispy Kreme doughnut or three Chips Ahoy! cookies — could reverse that aging by 2.4 months.

Dr. Dorothy Chiu, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health, said, “The diets we examined are consistent with existing recommendations for preventing disease and promoting health. Plus, they specifically emphasize the power of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.”

“From a lifestyle medicine standpoint, it is illuminating to see how following these recommendations can lead to a younger cellular age compared to chronological age.”

Biological age differs from chronological age because it looks at how old your cells are rather than how many birthdays you’ve had. The older your cells are, the more wear and tear they develop, putting people at higher risk for chronic diseases like cancer.

There were several limitations to the study, including the use of self-reported data, which could introduce bias. Additionally, the team noted that more research is needed to determine whether added sugars can cause accelerated biological aging.

The research was published Monday in JAMA Network Opened.