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We know that eating healthy is important. But just how important is it?<\/p>\nWe know that eating healthy is important. But just how important is it?<\/p>\n
Well, what if it cuts your risk of dying from stroke or heart attack by half? And that\u2019s just from making a few small diet changes.<\/p>\n
In a study recently released in the European Journal of Epidemiology<\/em>, scientists investigate just how many premature cardiovascular deaths could be prevented by eating a nutritious diet. They consulted a Global Burden of Disease Study conducted between 1990 and 2016 to find out more.<\/p>\n From this large study, they collected information regarding the typical food consumption of 12 nutrient groups from about 51 countries, along with their prevalences of 11 cardiovascular diseases and the prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors.<\/p>\n They were particularly interested in the under-consumption of fiber, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and omega-3 oils, as well as the overconsumption of nutritionally empty foods, such as refined grains, sugar, processed meat, trans fats, and salt.<\/p>\n They found that 2.1 million of the 4.3 million cardiovascular deaths that occurred in Europe in 2016 could have been prevented through healthier dieting.<\/p>\n To put this another way, 22.4% of all premature deaths and 49.2% of premature cardiovascular deaths could have been prevented:<\/p>\n \u2022 429,220 (20%) of these deaths resulted from a diet low in whole grains But if you need to drastically lower your cholesterol level, you only need to cut out this ONE single ingredient that you didn\u2019t even know you were consuming\u2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n\u2022 341,185 (16.2%) of these deaths resulted from a lack of nuts and seeds
\n\u2022 261,965 (12.5%)of these deaths resulted from low fruit consumption;
\n\u2022 251,437 (12%) of these deaths resulted from high salt intake;
\n\u2022 227,276 (10.8%) of these deaths resulted from low omega-3 consumption
\n\u2022 188,915 deaths resulted from too little vegetable consumption;
\n\u2022 148,668 resulted from too little legume consumption
\n\u2022 120,241 deaths resulted from too little fiber consumption. The others accounted for fewer than 100,000 cardiovascular deaths.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n