Global Mortality Linked To Diet, Nutritional Deficiencies

There’s a classic saying about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and while that’s not wrong, dietary advice is much more complicated. Rather, according to research spanning 1990 to 2017, poor dietary habits are responsible for as many as 20% of global deaths. Furthermore, dietary issues are the great equalizer, leading to deaths among people of all demographic groups. This shift in mortality positions poor diet as the leading cause of death, displacing smoking from the top spot.

Bet On Breakfast

One of the primary ways in which poor diet can lead to premature death is by triggering cardiovascular disease. In particular, skipping breakfast is associated with an 87% increase in premature death due to heart disease. Heading out the door without your morning meal, then, won’t just leave you tired and unfocused, but can lead to strokes, heart disease, and more. However, as nutrition professor Krista Varady suggests, individuals who skip breakfast are more likely to have other unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking, and poor overall diet.

Defeating Nutrient Deficiency

Another way in which poor diet contributes to global mortality is through the steady development of nutrient deficiencies – and what many people don’t realize is that you can get enough calories, or even be overweight, and still have nutrient deficiencies.

Individual deficiencies have different effects, but each is critical in its own way. For example, insufficient potassium can interfere with muscle contractions, leading to heart and digestive irregularities, as well as muscle weakness and dizziness. Too little folic acid, on the other hand, can lead to anemia, causing problems with tissue oxygenation.

Even people who think they have an especially nutritious diet, such as those following a vegan diet, can be prone to serious nutrient deficiencies. In particular, many vegans suffer from B12 deficiencies because it’s found primarily in animal products. This can lead to neurological complications, easy bleeding and bruising, rapid heart rate, and more.

Processed Food Problems

Perhaps the least surprising way in which poor diet can lead to premature death has to do with the evolution of the modern diet. In particular, researchers have connected a low-quality diet containing a lot of processed foods with over 80,000 new cancer cases in 2015 alone. Processed meat specifically has been linked with colorectal cancer, while eating organic foods can actually ward off certain kinds of cancer, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The good news about poor diet and premature death is that, of all the contributors to early mortality, it’s the easiest one to fix. The biggest challenge is encouraging people to make that switch since ultraprocessed foods are easy to eat, high in inexpensive calories, and typically more desirable. Many of them are shelf-stable or can be tossed in the freezer, as opposed to easily perishable fruits and vegetables.

Faced with the problem of diet’s link to premature death, some places are also working hard to enforce and support change. From New York City’s push to list calorie counts on all menus to India’s recognition that they need a national nutrition plan, support may be the first step to widespread improved health.

Grocery stores and marketing efforts push precisely the opposite of what we should be eating, but governmental bodies can help counteract those trends and bring about a new era in nutrition.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.