If a simple and inexpensive way to make you live longer existed, would you use it?
What’s that? Easy question, you say? Well, let’s tackle an even easier one first and see if your answer is still the same. Here’s the easier question: What if there was a way for you to eliminate the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States and save money at the same time? Would you do that? Of course you would… who wouldn’t? Evidently, a whole heck of a lot of people would NOT!
Here’s the scoop: Harvard researchers just published the results of a study, “The
Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors.” They listed the top causes of preventable death and how many people they estimate die each year from each risk factor.
The number one is tobacco smoking, killing 436,000-500,000 each year. Simply not smoking would eliminate the leading cause of preventable death from your life – AND save you quite a bit of money. Yet millions still smoke.
The study also found an Omega-3 deficiency causes between 72,000-96,000 deaths every year. This is very similar to the deaths caused by high trans fat intake (between 63,000-97,000). One researcher mentioned it is hard to nail down a more exact number of deaths because, “chronic diseases and associated deaths are multi-factorial. As far as diet goes, is it the lack of fruits and veggies or the excess animal and processed foods that is the culprit? It’s hard to say.” It was also noted that more research is needed to fully understand why Omega- 3 is so effective in establishing a dietary reference intake (DRI). Researchers added that until requirements are established, “Americans are likely to continue to fall short of their Omego-3 intake.” At least, according to this study, sounds like both increasing Omega-3 and decreasing trans fat intake may be a good idea.
So what were some of the other results of the study? Here they are…
1. Smoking Tobacco: 436,000 to 500,000 deaths
2. High blood Pressure: 372,000 to 414,000 deaths
3. Obesity: 188,000 to 237,000 deaths
4. Physical Inactivity: 164,000 to 222,000 deaths
5. High Blood Glucose: 163,000 to 217,000 deaths
6. High LDL Cholesterol: 94,000 to 124,000 deaths
7. High Salt Intake: 97,000 to 107,000 deaths
Other risk factors included: alcohol use, low polyunsaturated fatty acids, and low intake of fruits and vegetables.
So, what are you probably eating that could be contributing to the SECOND cause of preventable death which is high blood pressure? According to that study, high blood pressure kills between 372,000-414,000 every year. And listen to this… On September 23, 2009, according to Reuters, a recently released study found a diet high in a form of sugar found in sweetened soft drinks and junk food raises blood pressure among men. Reuters reports, the study “provided the first evidence that fructose helps raise blood pressure.” The study “suggested that people who consume sweetened soft drinks at night could gain weight faster than those who don’t.” From Reuters: “These results suggest that excessive fructose intake may have a role in the worldwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes,” said Dr. Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado-Denver, who studied the link between blood pressure and men.
Fructose is about 50% of the make-up of table sugar and the high fructose corn syrup popular in many foods. The American Heart Association currently says women should eat no more than 100 calories of added processed sugar per day, or six teaspoons (25 grams), while most men should keep it to just 150 calories or nine teaspoons (37.5 grams). On average, Americans consume 22 teaspoons (90 grams) or 355 calories of added sugar each day. Maybe it’s time Americans started seriously cutting back just a little… don’t you think?