The world is facing a global epidemic of diet-related chronic disease. In fact, according to a 2020 article published in The BMJ, “one of every five deaths across the globe is attributable to suboptimal diet, more than any other risk factor including tobacco.”
What you choose to eat has profound effects on your overall health.
Eating whole, nutritious foods is important because their unique substances work synergistically to create an effect that can’t be replicated by taking a supplement/vitamin.
Unfortunately, many of todays diets highly consist of processed foods and low in whole foods like fresh produce. These unhealthy diets (high in sugary drinks, fast food, and refined grains) are a main contributor to conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. They harm your gut bacteria and promote insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and overall disease risk. These diets also typically leave people deficient of vitamins and minerals.
Examples:
-Deficiency of vitamin C, vitamin D, and folate may harm your heart, cause immune dysfunction, and increase your risk of certain cancers
-Antioxidants are needed to protect cells from damage that may otherwise lead to disease
-Low-fiber diets are associated with an increased risk of illnesses, including colon cancer and stroke
– Amino acids aid immune function, muscle synthesis, metabolism, and growth, while fats provide fuel and help absorb nutrients
– Omega-3 fatty acids help regulate inflammation and are linked to improved heart and immune health
Keep in mind that while shifting to a healthier dietary pattern can indeed prevent disease- “food as medicine” cannot cure all disease and does not always replace pharmaceutical drugs.
However, food does much more than simply provide you with fuel. It may promote or worsen health, depending on what you eat.
At Pediatric Care+ we now have a provider who specializes in nutrition. Assessing your diet and helping you build a eating plan can improve your health and lifestyle more than you realize!
