Usually, eating is something we look forward to. But what if the foods we eat are sending us to our graves faster than anticipated?

According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, an increase in premature death across the globe is due to dietary factors. These factors include eating less than recommended amounts of fruits, vegetable, nuts and whole grains while eating a surplus of sodium and cholesterol.

Renata Micha, a public health researcher and nutritionist at Tufts University writing in the “Journal of the American Medical Association,” singled out certain foods and nutrients as being tied to early death.

One of the biggest risk factors for the increase in premature death rates is high blood pressure. For example, excess salt can cause high blood pressure, which causes stress on the arteries and heart. According to the study, salt was linked to nearly 10 percent of deaths in the United States in 2012. Other foods that increase high blood pressure risk include bacon and other processed meats that contain saturated fats.

The western diet, with its over-consumption of processed foods that are high in salt and sugar, has caused a rising death rate since 2010, not only due to high blood pressure but also other heart-related diseases. It also creates a higher cancer risk.

A study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that the majority of white men participating in the study who ate a “western diethigh intake of red and processed meat, high-fat dairy foods, and refined grains, were two and a half times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who ate a diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains, and healthy oils. In addition, they had a mortality rate of 67 percent, compared to 36 percent for the men who ate a healthier diet.

In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration launched a voluntary sodium reduction guideline for the makers of processed foods to help combat these health risks. Other safety measures being taken are city-imposed taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about half of all American adults have one or more chronic diseases related to poor diet. To help combat this increasing epidemic, the USDA published the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which emphasize healthy eating habits to reduce the risk of disease.

The guidelines include eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, switching to low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt, having a varying protein routine, and consuming less sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
Even though the “western” diet is delicious, it’s time to take a step back to allow for a healthier future.