Hot dog could reduce lifespan

Eating a hot dog could cost you 36 minutes of a healthy life.

A University of Michigan study has evaluated more than 5,800 foods by how much they impact on people’s health.

Choosing to eat a serving of nuts can gain a person 26 minutes of robust living, with salted peanuts and baked salmon gaining 26 and 16 minutes, respectively.

The team found that substituting 10 per cent of daily calorific intake from beef and processed meats to a mixture of fruit, vegetable and nuts to gain 48 minutes of healthy living, while also slashing dietary carbon footprint by around a third.

Environmental health expert

Professor Oliver Joillet, who led the study, said: “The urgency of dietary changes to improve human health and the environment is clear.

“Our findings demonstrate that small targeted substitutions offer a feasible and powerful strategy to achieve significant health and environmental benefits – without requiring dramatic dietary shifts.”