We are what we eat

Our diet is putting 11 million people into an early grave each year, according to an influential study by Lancet.

Our daily diet is a bigger killer than smoking and is now involved in one in five deaths around the world.

Too much Salt and too few whole grains – shortened the highest number of lives to three million deaths. Too little fruits caused two million deaths.

 Too few whole grains  caused three million deaths.

Low levels of nuts, seeds, vegetables , Omega-3  from seafood and fibre were other major killers.

“We find that diet is one of the dominant drivers of death around the world, it’s really quite profound” Professor Christopher Murray, the director of the Institute of Health Metrics and Evolution at the University of Washington.

About 10 million out of the 11 million diet-related deaths were because of cardiovascular disease and that explains why salt is such a problem, as too much salt raises blood pressure and that in turn raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Salt also have a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels leading to heart failure when the organ does not work effectively, while whole grains, fruit and vegetables have the opposite effect – “Cardioprotective”.

Mediterranean countries, France, Spain and Israel have some of the lowest numbers of diet related deaths in the world, while South East, Southern and Central Asia are  at the opposite end of the spectrum.

China consumes enormous amounts of salt with soy and other salty sauces being a key part its cuisine.

Processed food is introducing more salt to the people’s diet and has the highest death rate of salt of any country.

Israel has the lowest diet-related deaths -89 per 100, 000 people a year.

Uzbekistan has the highest diet-related deaths 892 per 100, 000 people a year.