Diet Archives - Page 3 of 4

December 3, 2022

Green Mediterranean diet is best for reducing harmful visceral fat

photo of green garden furniture and green plants — A modified Mediterranean food plan, so-named the green Mediterranean diet plan may possibly convey the most rewards to all those on the lookout to shed visceral body fat. Picture credit rating: kolderal/Getty Photos.

A recent examine appeared at the wellbeing outcomes of a new variation of the Mediterranean eating plan known as the eco-friendly Mediterranean eating plan.
The inexperienced Mediterranean eating plan is far more productive than the original at lessening the amount of money of visceral excess fat all-around inner organs.
Visceral unwanted fat has been joined to early mortality and a host of other severe professional medical fears.
A essential aspect of the new diet plan is the inclusion of walnuts, which are rich in polyphenols.

A new massive-scale medical intervention demo discovered that a modified Mediterranean diet program — identified as the green Mediterranean eating plan — is far more productive at reducing visceral fat that can encompass and problems organs than the standard Mediterranean eating plan or a generally nutritious eating plan.

All a few diet plans resulted in a reduction of visceral fats, but the green Mediterranean diet plan doubled the benefit of the “traditional” Mediterranean diet plan.

The examine was performed by the Direct-Additionally demo research group. It was led by Prof. Iris Shai of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, and Dr. Hila Zelicha, now at the College of California, Los Angeles, aided by colleagues from Italy, Germany, and the United States.

The examine appears in BMC Drugs.

The green Mediterranean diet differs from the first Mediterranean diet plan in its emphasis on polyphenols.

Polyphenols are plant compounds that have been connected to protection from form 2 diabetes, some cancers, and coronary heart ailment. They also surface to guidance mind health and digestion.

Polyphenols are found in darkish chocolate, berries, crimson wine, and tea, as very well as some nuts, this kind of as walnuts.

On the green Mediterranean eating plan, as envisaged in this review, a human being consumes 28 grams of walnuts — about 7 nuts — 3 to 4 cups of inexperienced tea, and 100 milligrams of the aquatic plant Wolffia globosa (Mankai) — also known as “duckweed” — in a smoothie or shake every single working day. All are rich in polyphenols.

If not, the diet regime is the same as the original Mediterranean food plan, but devoid of the usage of crimson and processed meats.

For the 18-thirty day period randomized controlled trial, researchers divided the 294 members into 3 teams:

a person group followed a regular Mediterranean (MED) food plan
1 followed a eco-friendly Mediterranean (eco-friendly-MED) diet plan
a closing team a person strictly followed nutritious dietary suggestions (HDG).

All teams were supplied life style academic periods and actual physical exercise tips, alongside with a free of charge gym membership.

Scientists provided the walnuts, tea, and Mankai, along with recipes for environmentally friendly smoothies.

Dr. Aaron Cypess, of the Nationwide Institutes of Health’s Nationwide Institute of Diabetic issues and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, was not associated in the review. He praised the research to Health-related News These days:

“The medical demo was executed very well, and these sorts of extended-time period eating plan interventions are incredibly tricky to execute. The study has created quite a few hypotheses that can now be examined relating to the system by which polyphenols have an impact on VAT mass.”

“VAT” stands for “visceral adipose tissue,” which is an additional term for visceral extra fat. “Adipose” describes a entire body tissue that outlets body fat.

At the conclusion of the trial, reductions in visceral fat ended up assessed by way of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All a few teams shed a similar volume of overall entire body bodyweight.

Individuals on the eco-friendly Mediterranean diet regime decreased their visceral fats by around 14{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}. All those on the Mediterranean diet plan misplaced 6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}, and the healthier diet group lost 4.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}.

Although one’s over-all weight and visual appearance are generally the metrics by which persons choose eating plans, visceral fat is a much a lot more critical concern.

Dr. Zelicha informed MNT that “in terms of the wellbeing risks related with extra body fat, visceral adipose tissue is significantly much more unsafe than the extra ‘tire’ all around your waist.”

“VAT,” explained Dr. Zelicha, “has been linked to various health and fitness problems, this kind of as high blood stress, being overweight, dyslipidemia, and diabetic issues. It also improves mortality hazard, earning it additional vital to maintain an eye on.”

Visceral fats is deep in the physique and uncovered around internal organs, not like the surface layer of extra fat that we can see.

“Most interventions now available do not goal deep adipose tissue specially,” pointed out Dr. Cypess, “yet rewards of body fat mass decline, in standard, are nonetheless valuable.”

Because it can’t be found, deciding if one has VAT is not a basic endeavor. Even though Dr. Zelicha observed that midsection circumference is a reasonably very good indicator of the presence of VAT, MRI and laptop or computer tomography (CT) scans are the gold specifications for detection.

“However, CT entails ionizing radiation, and MRI has emerged as a highly effective non-invasive prediction tool, but it is very expensive and time-consuming,” she cautioned.

There is even now a want, Dr. Zelicha mentioned, for a improved, simply available, and validated resource for evaluating VAT.

As of the time of writing, the eco-friendly Mediterranean diet plan is the routine that most appreciably lowers visceral extra fat, according to the modern investigation.

As Dr. Cypess famous: “Most diet programs guide to a reduction in the adipose tissue all-around organs. Even in this analyze, the HDG handle arm led to visceral extra fat decline, just not as significantly as the [green Mediterranean] diet plan.”

Since successful meal plans will typically supply at least some reduction in VAT, Dr. Cypess asserted, “the ideal diet plan and physical exercise program is the a person that the person can adhere to for months and a long time into the long term.”

Dr. Zelicha explained that aerobic workouts such as working or cycling have “been shown to be a powerful method for visceral adipose tissue reduction.“

In Prof. Shai’s before analysis, such physical exercise together with walnut consumption amplified the effect of the conventional Mediterranean diet program in cutting down VAT, reported Dr. Zelicha.

“Eating far more plant-centered fat,” advised Dr. Zelicha, “such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds, and avoiding very simple carbs and trans-fatty acids can enable reduce VAT.”

December 2, 2022

How to Add Them to Your Diet

A woman holds a round loaf of whole grain bread — Experts say whole grain breads are a simple way to improve your diet. Ellie Baygulov/Stocksy

Researchers say Americans are eating more whole grain foods but still not enough to meet daily dietary guidelines.
Experts say whole grain foods can improve overall health as well as help with weight loss.
They say you can increase the whole grain foods in your diet by grocery shopping more carefully and adding foods such as whole grain breads and pastas to family meals.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests people in the United States are eating more whole grains than ever.

However, researchers say it’s still not enough to meet minimum daily requirements.

The study reports the increase over the past two decades in whole-grain intake could be anywhere from 39{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} to 61{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}, depending on the exact definition of whole grain being used.

The wide-range estimate is due to the definition of whole grain being more strict across some studies than others. For example, some definitions include burritos, nachos, and tacos. Others do not.

The researchers applied varying definitions of whole grains to the dietary patterns of nearly 40,000 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2003 and 2018.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

The study looked at definitions of whole grains from across major organizations, including:

Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Food and Drug Administration
American Heart Association
American Association of Cereal Chemists International
Whole Grains Council

The researchers reported that consumption of whole grain foods remained far below the recommended consumption of at least three ounces each day and varied considerably by each definition.

“We can’t say which is the best definition yet as we need to assess the nutrient profiles of each and how these different definitions are associated with health outcomes,” said Fang Fang Zhang, PhD, the senior study author and interim chair of the Division of Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.

Amy Bragagnini, MS, RD, CSO, an oncology nutrition specialist at Trinity Health Lacks Cancer Center in Michigan and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Healthline that many clients ask her what exactly a “whole grain” is and why they are important for them to eat.

Simply put, whole grains contain all the important parts of the entire grain seed, says Bragagnini.

Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, an inclusive plant-based dietitian in Stamford, Connecticut, and owner of “Plant Based with Amy,” added that whole grains contain all essential and naturally occurring parts — the bran, germ, and endosperm— in their original proportions.

“This definition may include processed grains, but the processed product must deliver the same balance of nutrients present in the original grain seed,” she told Healthline.

“Once any of these components is stripped, it is no longer a ‘whole’ grain,” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN, the lead dietitian and manager of Wellness Nutrition Services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Ohio.

This depends, says Gorin.

As a general rule, she explained, “If a burrito has a flour tortilla made with whole grains as the first ingredient, then that would count.”

“If the nacho chips are made with whole cornmeal, then that would count as a whole grain,” she added.

There is one exception, though.

“While corn is considered a whole grain, it may be milled to the impact of taking out components of it which could render it more stripped based on how it is used,” Kirkpatrick told Healthline.

This is typically what you’d find in eateries, she said.

Julie Cunningham, RDN, LDN, is an expert diabetes dietitian and author of 30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes.

“A burrito made from a whole grain tortilla definitely counts as a whole grain in my view,” she told Healthline. “But even though some tortilla chips may be technically made with whole grains, that doesn’t necessarily make them a healthy choice.”

For example, she says, a food can be made from whole grains, but if it’s deep fried and loaded with calories (as chips are), then it’s not going to be healthy to consume that on a regular basis.

“The benefits of whole grains don’t outweigh the negatives of super high calorie, salty, addictive chips,” she added.

“Eating 2 to 3 servings of whole grains each day may lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer,” says Cunningham, who points to research on the health benefits of whole grains.

Bragagnini agrees, adding that consistent intake of whole grain foods can help us:

Feel fuller longer
Feel more satisfied at each meal, which may help you to avoid overeating (which may lead to unwanted weight gain)
Lower risk of heart disease and high blood pressure
Lower blood sugar
Decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Decrease the risk of colorectal cancer

At the grocery store

First, look for the “100{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} Whole Grain” stamp from the Whole Grains Council, which certifies that all the grain is whole and that a product contains at least 16 grams of whole grains per serving, says Bragagnini.

And if you don’t see this stamp, take a look at the ingredients.

“When you’re shopping for a whole grain product, such as bread, pasta, or crackers, look for the first ingredient to be a whole grain ingredient such as whole-grain flour or whole-wheat flour,” suggests Gorin.

“Many whole-grain products are made with whole grains but don’t contain them as a primary ingredient—and this makes things confusing,” she adds. “Also, aim for a variety of whole grains and experiment by trying different grains.”

Bragagnini says to look for whole grain keywords such as:

whole wheat
whole rye
wheat berries
brown rice
oats
quinoa
bulgur
Barley
buckwheat
wild rice
amaranth

At home

Next, slowly start to substitute whole grain products for the products you would typically serve at home, says Bragagnini.

“For example, if your family loves burritos, choose a tortilla wrap that is considered whole grain,” she suggests. “Then fill it with lean meat, beans, onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, etc., and you have a delicious whole grain/high fiber meal.”

Amy Reed, MS, RD, CSP, LD, is a pediatric dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She says to start with simple swaps such as changing white bread with whole wheat bread.

For example, “families are taught to slowly increase their intake of whole grains to work toward the goal of having at least 1/2 of their grains be from whole grains,” Reed told Healthline.

Bragagnini also suggests the following:

Skip the white rice and use brown rice for stir fry meals.
Use whole grain spaghetti noodles along with your favorite pasta sauce.
Top your favorite salad greens with quinoa to add a great texture to the side dish.
Combine quinoa with your favorite cut veggies, feta cheese, lemon, herbs and olive oil for a delicious main meal.

December 1, 2022

‘Green’ Mediterranean diet burns fat even faster: study

Adhering to the “green” Mediterranean diet allows burn up fat three periods more rapidly than regular wholesome taking in, a new examine reveals.

Research published in the BMC Medicine journal uncovered that taking in a plant-based Mediterranean eating plan authorized the physique to melt away a perilous type of overall body body fat at triple the level in comparison to all those on a normally “healthy” diet regime.

People who consumed the diet for 18 months observed their visceral fat ranges minimized by 14{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}, as opposed to a command team who ate a regular balanced diet program and only saw their excess fat ranges lessened by just 4.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}. And a traditional Med diet plan done half as perfectly as its meat-free of charge counterpart.

Visceral extra fat is the form that wraps around critical organs in the stomach, and is more very likely than other fat to elevate your threat for major health-related issues, which include heart ailment, Alzheimer’s and kind 2 diabetes. This sort of fats is what usually presents somebody a beer stomach, but is observed in thin folks as nicely.

Investigate indicates that getting rid of visceral extra fat need to be the aim in excess weight loss, and additional indicative of well being than a personal’s total body weight or the circumference of their midsection.

Beautiful vector mediterranean diet image in a modern authentic style isolated on a light blue background. — The Mediterranean and inexperienced Mediterranean eating plans had been observed to support body weight loss and midsection circumferences but the environmentally friendly Mediterranean diet plan doubled the visceral body fat decline.

A Mediterranean food plan — which is superior in fat and proteins but minimal in carbs — is touted as an in general wholesome diet regime and grow to be progressively well known for its coronary heart wellbeing gains.

Plant-based mostly food items, this kind of as whole grains, veggies and legumes are the foundation of the diet regime with olive oil staying the main supply of added body fat, but the environmentally friendly Mediterranean diet plan puts an more emphasis on the greens.

The 18-month study, executed by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, enlisted 294 individuals who averaged to be 51 yrs previous and deemed clinically overweight. Scientists divided the participants into a few teams at random, guiding them through a “healthy” eating plan, a Mediterranean diet or a green Mediterranean diet regime.

Common Duckweed — Duckweed (Wolffia globosa) is large in protein, iron, B12, natural vitamins, minerals and polyphenols.

People on the eco-friendly Mediterranean eating plan have been instructed to forgo crimson meat and poultry and consume day by day 3 to 4 cups of inexperienced tea, and a duckweed (Wolffia globosa) shake — which is significant in protein, iron, B12, natural vitamins, minerals and polyphenols — to substitute meat ingestion.

Both of those groups adhering to the Mediterranean eating plans had calorie limits of 1,400 energy a working day for gals, and 1,800 a working day for guys, and ate fewer than 40 grams of carbs a working day for the initially two months, ahead of getting lifted to 80 grams.

Those people on a general “healthy” diet plan were not supplied rigid calorie counts.

All members were being supplied 90-moment nourishment lessons just about every 7 days for the first thirty day period and then after a thirty day period for the subsequent five and questioned to do cardio and resistance schooling three to 4 times a week for 45 to 60 minutes.

In the stop, the research located that although the Mediterranean and eco-friendly Mediterranean meal plans lead to participants viewing related bodyweight reduction and midsection circumferences, the eco-friendly Mediterranean eating plan doubled the visceral excess fat loss. And the visceral body fat decline was tripled in comparison to the “healthy” eating plan.

It also concluded that bigger dietary consumption of eco-friendly tea, walnuts and duckweed, paired with with reduced purple meat consumption, ended up considerably similar to greater visceral fats reduction.

November 26, 2022

You don’t need to completely cut out meat to have a healthier diet | Opinion

By Evie Dame

Not extensive back, my brother decided he wanted to go vegetarian. When my grandmother heard about this, she was concerned. Was he receiving enough protein, sufficient diet? Would he be ready to endure this drastic adjust in diet. It turns out that this transform, if managed correctly, could be much better for him than what we were being feeding on on a daily basis.

There have been numerous scientific tests completed on the subject of plant-dependent meal plans. It has been established that plant-dependent diet plans, which reduce out meat and some other body fat weighty foodstuff, lessen people’s danger for coronary heart sickness and some sorts of most cancers. These meal plans guide to people keeping healthier more time. Plant proteins are healthier for the reason that of the reduce of chemicals for processing and fat located in them. These scientific tests advise that a plant-centered substitute may possibly be improved for people in the long run.

Not all plant-dependent food items are healthy. Foodstuff like potato chips and soda are plant-centered and all right in moderation, but not a aspect of a balanced diet.

Dieticians suggest that individuals commence by adding much healthier, plant-centered foods to their meal plans, instead of entirely having away foodstuff. Foodstuff these types of as entire grains and beans are very good substitutes to fattier proteins. Ultimately, these plant-centered food items will crowd out animal items and make your total weight loss plans more healthy.

Analysis also shows that, if you take in a plant-based mostly food plan with a assortment of components, you will get all the nutrition and proteins that you want. As extended as you eat a variety of food items, these kinds of as lentils, wheat, rice and beans, you will get protein and other items your entire body may perhaps need to have.

Switching to a thoroughly plant-centered diet program may well be much too major of a modify for some people, nevertheless. They could not be able to entry balanced plant foods, or get sufficient nutrients from the food items they can get. This is in particular an situation with the inflation in our present-day overall economy.

More healthy food items often price a lot more and a lot of may well be not able to entry them. This is a issue, particularly densely populated communities, these as Harrisburg. If we want to have more healthy diets, we will need to beat these troubles.

The very good information for these people is that there are alternatives to this. We as a group have to have to place extra force on the spots we buy from to present more healthy foodstuff for us. If we have the means to assist other folks, we can offer healthier foodstuff to them in an obtainable way.

We can petition to law and policy makers for the authorities to supply these providers to us. In reality, there is a full department correct in Harrisburg to assistance with this. The U.S. Meals and Nutrition Assistance, who aid with access to foods in the Harrisburg space, is a excellent location to reach out to about this issue. If adequate persons come jointly to overcome this challenge, transform could be accomplished.

If, right after all this, you even now can not have a fully plant-based mostly eating plan, do not fear. You really do not have to minimize out all meat and go entirely plant based mostly to have a much healthier diet program. A great deal of folks consume a far more plant-based mostly diet regime and come to be what they simply call “flexitarians,” who however take in meat once in a while. My brother states that he is a lot more of a flexitarian than a vegetarian, as well. There are a great deal of weight loss plans that are healthier, but do not reduce out meat totally.

Taking in a lot more plant-primarily based, much more vegetarian, as my brother and our whole dwelling is now accomplishing, is a step toward encouraging folks everywhere eat much healthier. This increases people’s in general wellbeing and will allow them to continue to be healthier lengthier. If you take in a various diet regime of plant-centered food items, you will get all that you require and lower dangers that you get from the fat presently in your meals.

If we foyer to our government and make the smaller changes we can, it will guide to a superior result. Including much more vegetation to your diet plan is a small move that potential customers to your local community be much healthier, encouraging anyone in the extended operate.

Evie Dame writes from Susquehanna Township, Pa.

November 24, 2022

The 3 Billion People Who Can’t Afford a Healthy Diet

While they aren’t often the focus of news media, hunger and undernourishment are problems plaguing millions of people every day.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 3 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, an additional 112 million more people than in 2019. The increase was partly because of rising food prices, with the average cost of a healthy diet rising by 3.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} from 2019 levels.

As of August 2022, the FAO food price index was up 40.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} from average 2020 levels. Unless income levels increased by a similar magnitude, the healthy diet crisis is likely to have worsened, especially in low-income countries experiencing rampant food inflation.

Using data from the FAO, the above infographic maps the share of people unable to afford a healthy diet in 138 different countries as of 2020 (latest available data).

The Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet

According to the FAO, a healthy diet is one that meets daily energy needs as well as requirements within the food and dietary guidelines created by the country.

The (un)affordability is measured by comparing the cost of a healthy diet to income levels in the country. If the cost exceeds 52{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} of an average household’s income, the diet is deemed unaffordable.

Here’s a look at the share of populations unable to afford a healthy diet, and the cost of such a diet around the world:

Country	Percent of population unable to afford a healthy diet	Cost of Healthy Diet (USD per Person per Day)
Burundi 🇧🇮	97.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.9
Madagascar 🇲🇬	97.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Liberia 🇱🇷	96.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.9
Malawi 🇲🇼	96.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Nigeria 🇳🇬	95.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.1
Central African Republic 🇨🇫	95.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Guinea 🇬🇳	94.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.1
Angola 🇦🇴	94.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.5
Congo 🇨🇬	92.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Sudan 🇸🇩	91.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.3
Mozambique 🇲🇿	91.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩	90.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.1
Sierra Leone 🇸🇱	89.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.9
Niger 🇳🇪	88.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.9
Zambia 🇿🇲	88.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Tanzania 🇹🇿	87.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼	87.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Ethiopia 🇪🇹	86.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Rwanda 🇷🇼	86.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
Haiti 🇭🇹	85.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.5
Sao Tome and Principe 🇸🇹	84.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Nepal 🇳🇵	84.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.4
Lesotho 🇱🇸	83.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.3
Pakistan 🇵🇰	83.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.7
Chad 🇹🇩	83.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.8
Benin 🇧🇯	82.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.7
Uganda 🇺🇬	82.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
Kenya 🇰🇪	81.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Burkina Faso 🇧🇫	80.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Laos 🇱🇦	79.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.1
Mali 🇲🇱	74.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Bangladesh 🇧🇩	73.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Egypt 🇪🇬	72.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Eswatini 🇸🇿	71.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
India 🇮🇳	70.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Indonesia 🇮🇩	69.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.5
Philippines 🇵🇭	68.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.1
Jamaica 🇯🇲	66.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$6.7
South Africa 🇿🇦	65.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.3
Myanmar 🇲🇲	65.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.2
Gambia 🇬🇲	64.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Djibouti 🇩🇯	63.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Botswana 🇧🇼	61.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.7
Ghana 🇬🇭	61.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.0
Cameroon 🇨🇲	60.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.8
Mauritania 🇲🇷	60.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.7
Fiji 🇫🇯	60.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.9
Suriname 🇸🇷	58.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$5.7
Namibia 🇳🇦	56.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Bhutan 🇧🇹	53.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$5.0
Mongolia 🇲🇳	51.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$5.1
Honduras 🇭🇳	51.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Iraq 🇮🇶	49.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬	49.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Sri Lanka 🇱🇰	49.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.9
Senegal 🇸🇳	46.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.3
Guyana 🇬🇾	43.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.9
Armenia 🇦🇲	42.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Tajikistan 🇹🇯	42.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Cabo Verde 🇨🇻	38.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Belize 🇧🇿	36.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.1
Gabon 🇬🇦	36.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Nicaragua 🇳🇮	35.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Algeria 🇩🇿	30.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.8
Vietnam 🇻🇳	30.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.1
Colombia 🇨🇴	26.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Mexico 🇲🇽	26.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Bolivia 🇧🇴	24.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.8
Palestine 🇵🇸	23.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Ecuador 🇪🇨	21.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.9
Saint Lucia 🇱🇨	20.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Peru 🇵🇪	20.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Iran 🇮🇷	20.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Tunisia 🇹🇳	20.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Albania 🇦🇱	20.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.2
Brazil 🇧🇷	19.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Dominican Republic 🇩🇴	18.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.9
Panama 🇵🇦	18.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.5
North Macedonia 🇲🇰	18.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Paraguay 🇵🇾	17.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Montenegro 🇲🇪	17.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Thailand 🇹🇭	17.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.3
Costa Rica 🇨🇷	16.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.1
Morocco 🇲🇦	16.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.8
Serbia 🇷🇸	16.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.2
Jordan 🇯🇴	14.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
Mauritius 🇲🇺	13.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.6
China 🇨🇳	12.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹	11.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.2
Romania 🇷🇴	8.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Bulgaria 🇧🇬	8.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.1
Seychelles 🇸🇨	6.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.8
Moldova 🇲🇩	6.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.8
Chile 🇨🇱	3.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Croatia 🇭🇷	3.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.3
Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦	3.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$4.0
Uruguay 🇺🇾	3.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Russia 🇷🇺	3.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Greece 🇬🇷	3.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Italy 🇮🇹	2.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Japan 🇯🇵	2.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$5.8
Hungary 🇭🇺	2.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Spain 🇪🇸	2.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.8
Malaysia 🇲🇾	1.9{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Latvia 🇱🇻	1.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
South Korea 🇰🇷	1.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$5.2
United States 🇺🇸	1.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.4
Maldives 🇲🇻	1.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.9
Estonia 🇪🇪	1.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Kazakhstan 🇰🇿	1.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
Lithuania 🇱🇹	1.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Slovakia 🇸🇰	1.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Israel 🇮🇱	1.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.5
Poland 🇵🇱	1.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Austria 🇦🇹	0.8{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Australia 🇦🇺	0.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.6
Canada 🇨🇦	0.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Malta 🇲🇹	0.7{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.8
Sweden 🇸🇪	0.6{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Portugal 🇵🇹	0.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
United Kingdom 🇬🇧	0.5{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$1.9
Denmark 🇩🇰	0.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.5
Norway 🇳🇴	0.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5
Cyprus 🇨🇾	0.3{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Belarus 🇧🇾	0.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.3
Belgium 🇧🇪	0.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Czechia	0.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Germany 🇩🇪	0.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Netherlands 🇳🇱	0.2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.0
Finland 🇫🇮	0.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
France 🇫🇷	0.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.2
Ireland 🇮🇪	0.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.2
Luxembourg 🇱🇺	0.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
Slovenia 🇸🇮	0.1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
Azerbaijan 🇦🇿	0.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.5
Iceland 🇮🇸	0.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.4
Switzerland 🇨🇭	0.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$2.7
United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪	0.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.1
World 🌎	42.0{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}	$3.5

In 52 countries, more than half of the population cannot afford a healthy diet. The majority of these are in Africa, with the rest located across Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.

By contrast, in four countries—Azerbaijan, Iceland, Switzerland, and the UAE—everyone is able to afford a healthy diet. The picture is similar for most European and developed high-income countries, where more than 95{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} of the population can afford a healthy diet.

When the percentages are translated into numbers, Asia contains the most number of people unable to afford a healthy diet at 1.89 billion, of which 973 million people are in India alone. Another 1 billion people are in Africa, with around 151 million people in the Americas and Oceania.

While hunger is a worldwide concern, it is particularly acute in African countries, which cover all of the top 20 spots in the above table.

Africa’s Deepening Food Crisis

In many countries across sub-Saharan Africa, more than 90{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} of the population cannot afford a healthy diet.

Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible to extreme climate events and the resulting volatility in food prices. Roughly one-third of the world’s droughts occur in the region, and some sub-Saharan countries are also heavily reliant on imports for food.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has deepened the crisis, with many African countries importing over 50{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} of their wheat from the two countries in conflict. The rising food prices from this supply chain disruption have resulted in double-digit food inflation in many African nations, which means that more people are likely to be unable to afford healthy diets.

The Horn of Africa region at the Eastern tip of Africa is particularly in turmoil. All the countries in the region are reliant on wheat from Russia and Ukraine, with Eritrea (100{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}) and Somalia (>90{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}) high up in the import dependency chart. Additionally, the region is facing its worst drought in 40 years alongside ongoing political conflicts. As a result, 22 million people are at risk of starvation.

Population Growth and Food Insecurity

In November of 2022, the global population is projected to surpass 8 billion people, and many of the fastest growing countries are also food-insecure.

By 2050, the global population is likely to increase by 35{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}, and to meet the growing demand for food, crop production will need to double. Given that agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, this increase in crop production will also need to be environmentally sustainable.

As the impacts of climate change intensify and food demand increases, reducing food waste, building climate-resilient agricultural infrastructure, and improving agricultural productivity will all play a key role in reducing the levels of food insecurity sustainably.

Get our new “The World at 8 Billion” report and webinar by becoming a VC+ member

November 21, 2022

At any age, a healthy diet can extend your life

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No matter how old you are, or how much junk food you consume, it’s never too late to start undoing the damage caused by a poor diet.

That’s the message from scientists who study how our food choices affect our life spans and our risk of developing diseases. They have found that people can gain sizable health benefits at any age by cutting back on highly processed foods loaded with salt, sugar and other additives and replacing them with more nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, lentils, seafood and whole grains.

The earlier you start, the better. Following a healthy diet from a young age leads to the greatest gains in life expectancy. But even people who wait until middle age or later to improve their eating habits still can add years to their lives.

The research is empowering for several reasons. It shows that you don’t necessarily have to transform your diet to gain benefits. Even small changes, like adding a handful of nuts to your daily diet as a midday snack and cutting back on processed meats like ham and hot dogs can potentially add years to your life. And it suggests that even if you’re in your 60s or older, making these relatively small changes to your diet could still lead to major benefits.

A healthy food boost at any age

In a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists followed roughly 74,000 people between the ages of 30 and 75 for over two decades. During that time, they analyzed their diets and lifestyle habits and tracked changes in what they ate. The researchers used several scoring systems to assess the quality of their diets, including the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which was developed by nutrition experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The index gives low scores to unhealthy foods and higher scores to healthier foods. Among the foods that received high scores were fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains and foods rich in unsaturated fats and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, like fish, avocados and olive oil. Some of the unhealthy foods that received lower scores were things like red and processed meats and foods high in sodium and added sugars, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, pizza, potato chips and other junk foods.

What are ultra-processed foods? What should I eat instead?

The more nutritious foods people ate, and the fewer junk foods they consumed, the higher their diet scores. The researchers found that people who had consistently high diet scores were up to 14 percent less likely to die of any cause during the study period compared to people who had consistently poor diets.

But perhaps most important: People who improved their eating habits saw big benefits. The researchers found that people who increased their diet scores by just 20 percent during the study had at least an 8 percent reduction in mortality during the study period and a 7 to 15 percent drop in their likelihood of dying from heart disease, specifically. Achieving a 20 percent increase in your diet score could be as simple as replacing the sugary drinks in your diet with sparkling water and eating at least one handful of nuts or one serving of beans or lentils daily, said Mercedes Sotos-Pieto, the lead author of the study.

She pointed out that most of the participants in the study were over 60 years old, demonstrating that it’s never too late to benefit from an improvement in your eating habits. The reductions in mortality among people who improved their eating habits largely stemmed from a decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, which is strongly influenced by diet. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Just add nuts, grains, beans and peas

Sotos-Pieto noted that eating a more nutritious diet by making small and gradual improvements in your food choices over time can help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar and inflammation — all of which can improve your cardiovascular health and reduce your likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke.

“It’s not necessary to dramatically change your lifestyle,” said Sotos-Pieto, an assistant professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and an adjunct professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health. “Choose small goals that you can achieve and sustain over time.”

In another study published earlier this year in PLOS Medicine, scientists analyzed large amounts of data on the impact that different foods have on the risk of premature death. Then they used that data, along with other research on deaths and chronic disease rates, to estimate how changes in a person’s diet might influence their life expectancy at different ages.

The researchers found that a 20-year-old who switched from the typical Western diet to an optimal Mediterranean-style diet (and stuck with it) could add on average 11 to 13 years to his or her life expectancy. But even seniors could benefit: A 60-year-old who made this switch could boost their life expectancy by up to nine years, and an 80-year-old could gain about three-and-a-half years.

The study found that the biggest gains in life expectancy stemmed from eating more legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and peanuts. If overhauling your diet seems like a daunting task, then start small by adding a few particularly important foods to your diet.

Eat a handful of nuts every day
Add a few servings of whole grains to your diet. Switch to brown rice instead of white rice.
Eat at least one cup of beans, lentils or peas daily. Add chickpeas to a salad; eat a burrito bowl with black or pinto beans.
Add nut butters (peanut butter or almond butter) to toast, oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast.

The outsize health benefits you gain from eating more legumes, nuts and whole grains stems from their metabolic profile, said Lars Fadnes, the lead author of the PLOS Medicine study and a professor at the University of Bergen in Norway. These foods are nutrient-dense, containing large amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Legumes for example are high in protein and they contain several B vitamins, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc and phosphorous, he said. These foods have also been shown in clinical trials to reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol levels and other metabolic markers that affect your life span.

Fadnes emphasized that if you eat a lot of junk food, the earlier you change your eating habits the better. Even for people who are overweight, older and in poor metabolic health, the benefits you can gain from eating more nutritious foods, he said, “are likely to be substantial.”

Do you have a question about healthy eating? Email EatingLab@washpost.com and we may answer your question in a future column.