Researchers identify ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods
CHICAGO — Gorging on bacon and skimping on nuts are among food habits that new research links with deaths from heart disease, strokes and diabetes.
Out of 10 foods and nutrients, overeating four of them or not eating enough of the other six contributes to nearly half of deaths from those causes in the U.S., the study suggests.
“Good” foods that were under eaten include: nuts and seeds; seafood rich in omega-3 fats, including salmon and sardines; fruits and vegetables; and whole grains.
“Bad” foods or nutrients that were over-eaten include: salt and salty foods; processed meats, including bacon, bologna and hot dogs; red meat, including steaks and hamburgers; and sugary drinks.
The research is based on U.S. government data showing there were about 700,000 deaths in 2012 from heart disease, strokes and diabetes and on an analysis of U.S. national health surveys that asked participants about their eating habits. Most didn’t eat the recommended amounts of the foods studied. The 10 ingredients combined contributed to about 45 per cent of those deaths, the study said.
It may sound like a familiar attack on the typical American diet, and the research echoes previous studies on the benefits of heart-healthy eating.
But the study goes into more detail on specific foods and their risks or benefits, said lead author Renata Micha, a public health researcher and nutritionist at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.
The results were published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Micha said the foods and nutrients were singled out because of research linking them with the causes of death studied.
For example, studies have shown that excess salt can increase blood pressure, putting stress on arteries and the heart. Nuts contain healthy fats that can improve cholesterol levels, while bacon and other processed meats contain saturated fats that can raise levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol.
In the study, too much salt was the biggest problem, linked with nearly 10 per cent of the deaths. Overeating processed meats and undereating nuts and seeds and seafood each were linked with about eight per cent of the deaths.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent voluntary sodium reduction guidelines for makers of processed foods and taxes that some U.S. cities have imposed on sugar-sweetened beverages were steps in the right direction, Micha said.
A journal editorial said public health policies targeting unhealthy eating could potentially help prevent some deaths.
Here are the study’s recommended amounts:
“Good” ingredients
• Fruits: Three average-sized fruits daily
• Vegetables: Two cups cooked or four cups raw vegetables daily
• Nuts/seeds: Five 1-oz. servings per week — 20 nuts per serving
• Whole grains: 21⁄2 daily servings
• Polyunsaturated fats, found in many vegetable oils: 11 per cent of daily calories
• Seafood: About 8 oz. weekly
“Bad” ingredients
• Red meat: One serving weekly — one medium steak or the equivalent
• Processed meat: None recomm ended
• Sugary drinks: None recommended
• Salt: 2,000 milligrams daily — just under a teaspoon.