You truly are what you eat

In the late 1800s, a spring cattle roundup out West might have brought together 200 cowboys and 500 to 800 horses, working to collect their wandering herd. The roundup, here, of nutrition news is less exhausting and far better for your health.

1. Boosting your vitamin D level can help prevent a severe case of COVID-19. A study in the journal PLOS One found that COVID-19 patients with a vitamin D deficiency were 14 times more likely to have a severe or critical infection — and the mortality rate for those with insufficient vitamin D levels was 25.6%, compared with 2.3% for those with adequate levels.

2. If you have cardiovascular disease, eating ultraprocessed foods, stripped of nutrients and loaded with artificial ingredients, unhealthy fats and sugars, increases your risk of death. A study found that over a 10-year period, folks who get around 11% of their total food intake from UPFs were almost 14% more likely to die from all causes compared with folks whose intake of UPFs is less than 5% of their total diet.

3. At age 20, adopting a diet loaded with legumes, whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables and a daily handful of nuts, can add almost 11 years of lifespan for women and 13 for men, according to another study in PLOS One.

This change in length of life corresponds closely to the RealAge data I published about 23 years ago. Truly, you can live younger for longer by eating healthier food.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His next book is “The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow.” Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email questions@ GreatAgeReboot.com.