As we all know, many diseases are eaten. So have you ever thought that many people may even die because of "eating the wrong meal".
A previous study in The Lancet proved that "eating the wrong meal" can really kill people. Especially Chinese, it is really time to pay attention to the problem of diet!
1. The Lancet: 22% of adults worldwide die from eating the wrong meal
The Lancet study looked at mortality and disease burden caused by dietary patterns in 195 countries and territories. The study shows a horrific set of statistics: in 2017, a total of 11 million people died due to unhealthy diets, of which 10 million died from cardiovascular disease, and the rest died mainly from cancer and diabetes.
Let's take another look at one of the graphs published in the study.
This chart shows the mortality rate worldwide in 2017 due to poor diet. According to the legend on the left, the situation is most severe in the red zone, followed by orange and yellow second. Comparing this legend, we can see that most of Japan, a long-lived country, is the lightest shade of purple, while most of China is in the second tier of orange.
It can be seen how dangerous China's diet is. In this study in The Lancet, China has also been singled out more than once. Because in its relevant statistics, China's cardiovascular disease mortality rate and cancer mortality rate due to diet structure are the first among the world's most populous countries.
So why is United States, where calorie indicators are almost exploding, doing much better than China? Actually, it's a mistake in our thinking. Studies have shown that eating the wrong way doesn't mean eating too much sugar and fat. The researchers found that the real top three lethal factors were: a diet high in salt, low in grains, and low in fruits.
So how to eat healthy? In the article, CDC gives 5 principles for healthy eating. The first is to diversify your food and choose whole grains as much as possible. The second is to limit salt, and eat no more than 5 grams of salt per day; The third is to control oil, and the daily oil consumption should not exceed 25 grams; The fourth is to limit sugar, preferably no more than 25 grams per day; Finally, there is abstinence from alcohol.
2. Authoritative research: Eating less than 1 gram of salt can reduce the risk of heart disease
It is imperative for the Chinese to "reduce salt", but the Chinese people's dependence on salt is deep-rooted, and Chinese will inevitably put some salt no matter what they eat. Therefore, even if doctors and experts recommend less salt, everyone can still eat it however they want.
In fact, salt reduction is not about not eating salt, but about eating less salt. In daily life, even eating just 1 gram of salt a day can have a very beneficial effect on the body.
In 2023, mainland researchers published a blockbuster study in the authoritative journal United Kingdom Medical Journal. The study conducted a 12-month controlled trial in 60 communities in six cities in Qinghai, Hebei, Sichuan, Hunan, Heilongjiang and Jiangxi.
A total of 1419 trialists were included in the trial, who were divided into 2 groups. There were 706 people in the intervention group, who were arranged by the researchers to administer salt reduction interventions; There were 713 people in the control group, who were on a normal regular diet.
After 12 months of intervention, the researchers found that the intervention group had an average salt intake of 0.9 grams less per day than the control group, while their systolic and diastolic blood pressures also decreased by 2.0 mlHg and 1.1 mlHg. The study highlighted that this would also reduce their risk of stroke by 5.2 percent and the risk of ischemic heart disease by 3.2 percent.
It can be seen that salt reduction is very necessary, and even small changes can promote health. In daily life, there are several ways to help reduce salt.
Replace ordinary salt with low-sodium salt: low-sodium salt generally contains 25% potassium chloride, which can also play a "salty" role and reduce the body's sodium intake.
"Flavor" with other ingredients: The essence of saltiness is that sodium ions stimulate the nerve signals produced by the body. If there are other substances that can enhance this signal, then the saltiness can be increased without adding salt. At present, researchers have found that chicken essence and monosodium glutamate can achieve this effect.
Don't drink too much soup: The soup itself has few nutrients, but it is high in salt.
3. Reminder: How much you eat, or how long you live
What you eat can affect your lifespan, and how much you eat can actually determine how long you can live. We often say that being able to eat is a blessing, but research shows that if you really want to live longer, you might as well eat less.
The study comes from the journal Nature Aging. Researchers have found that healthy adults who reduce their calorie intake by 25% per day will slow down the rate of aging by 2%~3%, which also means that their risk of death will be reduced by 10%~15%.
In addition to longevity, eating less can also assist in the treatment of diseases caused by "eating too much", such as diabetes, obesity, habitual constipation and even arteriosclerosis can be better improved by eating less.
Some scholars have successfully improved blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids and other indicators in obese people participating in the trial through fasting intervention. During a week's fasting, the participants could only eat ginseng polysaccharides, dietary fiber, and other meal replacements for three meals a day, and at the same time drink water. After the end of the trial, the experimenters should also continue to maintain good eating habits and not overeat. In this way, the testers not only improved various indicators, but also showed good results in safety evaluation.
However, although fasting has been well received in recent years, everyone should also pay attention to these issues.
Professional guidance: Unreasonable fasting can damage the health of the body, causing problems in the nervous system, digestive system and circulatory system of the human body. So do it under the guidance of a professional.
Healthy fasting: Fasting adopts a gradual approach, the fasting time should not exceed 10 days, and after the fasting is over, the diet should also be gradually restored, eat gruel first, and then eat noodles, vegetables and fruits, do not overeat.
Contraindications: Not everyone is suitable for fasting, people with any underlying medical conditions, the elderly, children, children, and people with low body weight are not suitable for fasting.
Resources:
[1] "The Global Eating Report is here! The Lancet: More than 20% of Chinese die from "eating the wrong meal". Life Times.2019-04-08
[2] Yun Wuxin. A few tricks to help you eat less salt [J]. Health Expo, 2017, (12): 52-53.
[3] "Eat 1 gram less salt a day, this change occurs in the body!" 》. Popular Science China.2023-10-18
[4] "Eating less can not only live longer, but also cure diseases? A lot of people don't know...". Popular Science China.2022-04-15