Consumption of artificial and sugar-sweetened beverages, fat spreads and condiments, yogurt and dairy-based desserts, and other ultraprocessed foods is associated with higher frailty risk, while consumption of ultraprocessed whole grains is not associated with significant changes in frailty risk.

Eating certain ultra-processed foods introduces chemicals that damage the gut lining and change the good bacteria inside, letting toxins leak into the blood. At the same time, these foods lack the right kind of protein needed to build and keep muscles strong. The toxins cause constant low-level body-wide inflammation, and the poor protein supply stops muscles from repairing themselves. Over time, muscles shrink and weaken, and the body loses its ability to handle stress, leading to frailty.