A new survey shows that dietary problems cause 11 million premature deaths worldwide each year.
The study, published in the Lancet, found that daily diet is the biggest killer of human health, more powerful than smoking. One fifth of global deaths are related to unhealthy diet.
Salt
Excessive salt is the biggest cause of life expectancy loss. There is a lot of salt in bread, soy sauce and processed foods.
Researchers said the study focused on the “unhealthy” diet on the heart damage and induce cancer, rather than the obesity problem.
The Global Burden of Disease Study has released an authoritative assessment of the causes of death in countries around the world.
The report’s latest analysis uses an assessment of countries’ dietary habits to determine how many premature deaths are diet-related.
These dangerous diets include: eating too much salt causes 3 million deaths worldwide each year. Eating too little whole grains and cereals also causes 3 million deaths. Eating too little fruit causes 2 million deaths.
In addition, not eating enough nuts, plant seeds, vegetables, omega-3 rich seafood and fiber are also major causes of premature death.
Causes of death
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death related to diet, which explains why salt is the biggest problem.
This is because too much salt can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by increasing blood pressure.
Salt can have a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels, leading to heart failure and so on.
Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good for the heart. They can play a role in protecting the heart, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
In addition to cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes are also two other major causes of death related to diet.
Nuts and plant seeds?
According to the study, nuts and plant seeds are the least healthy foods eaten in people’s diets around the world.
If nuts and plant seeds are so healthy, why don’t we eat more of them?
Professor Nita Forouhi of the University of Cambridge said this may be related to the perception that these foods are high in energy and cause people to gain weight.
“And most people don’t consider them mainstream food. There’s also the issue of cost,” Forouhi said.
In recent years, when people think of non-healthy foods, they think of fat, sugar and so on. Also, there is a link between red meat and processed meat and cancer.
But experts say that while too much of these foods is indeed harmful, it is less harmful than eating too few whole grains, fruits, nuts, plant seeds and vegetables.
So, researchers say it’s time to move from talking about unhealthy foods like sugar and fat to urging people to eat more healthy foods.
Researchers say that a poor diet can lead to a two-year reduction in life expectancy worldwide.
Professor Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation at the University of Washington, urges people to ask themselves, “Will I die of a heart attack in my 50s? Or will I develop cancer in my 40s because of my diet?”
So, which countries are doing relatively well in this area?
Mediterranean countries, Spain and Israel have the lowest number of deaths due to unhealthy diet in the world.
The opposite is true for Southeast Asia, South Asia and Central Asia.
In Israel, the number of diet-related deaths is the lowest, at 89 per 100,000 people.
But in Uzbekistan, 892 deaths per 100,000 people are due to unhealthy diet.
China is a major salt-eating country. Chinese people generally cook with soy sauce and other seasonings that contain high levels of salt.
With the increasing popularity of processed foods, the amount of salt people consume in their diets is increasing. As a result, China has the highest number of deaths due to excessive salt consumption of any country.
Professor Murray said that the current level of salt intake in China is somewhat like that of Japan 30 or 40 years ago. Although excessive salt consumption is still the number one problem facing Japan today, the amount of salt consumed by the Japanese has decreased significantly.
In addition, the Japanese diet contains many heart-protective ingredients: vegetables and fruits, for example.
In Western Europe, France, Denmark and Belgium are ahead of the UK in terms of healthy eating.
The biggest problem with the British diet is the lack of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and plant seeds.
Studies say that an estimated 14% of deaths in the UK are diet-related. The annual number of diet-related deaths in the UK is 127 per 100,000 people.
Recommendations
“Regardless of your weight, the quality of your diet is critical,” says Professor Murray.
His advice is to eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and plant seeds, and to reduce salt as much as possible.
Of course, in poorer countries, five servings of fruits and vegetables a day can account for 52 percent of a family’s income. So there’s still the question of money here.
But Professor Frosch warns that if the public is informed and empowered to make healthier choices, and the store shelves are full of buy-one-get-one-free unhealthy foods? Then healthy eating advice would be out of whack.
“What people desperately need is healthy food choices at a good price,” said Professor Frosh.
Both professors agree that there needs to be a shift in focus: from a focus on nutrients (fat/sugar/salt) to what’s healthy to eat.
Recommended reading:
Healthy living: Five dietary habits to help protect your heart
You need to have a healthy diet to have a strong immune system
