According to one study, poor diets are responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other risk factor, including smoking.

A new analysis suggests that too much salt – and not enough whole grains, fruits and vegetables – is likely to cost us years of our lives.

In a study published Wednesday in the journal Lancet, researchers examined eating habits of people in 195 countries to estimate the impact of poor nutrition on mortality. Their discoveries? According to the study, these 11 million people die each year around the world because, at least in part, of certain foods.

Lead author Ashkan Afshin, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington, said the researchers felt that, overall, poor nutrition was the cause of more deaths worldwide than any other risk factor, including smoking, considered one of the biggest threats to health. public health.

The problem, he said, is not just what people eat, but it's also what they do not eat. The study estimated that 3 million deaths worldwide were attributable to too much sodium, but 3 million more were attributable to a lack of adequate whole grains, and 2 million deaths to a lack of fruit .

Experts say this confirms what health professionals have been teaching for years: a balanced diet is important for a long and healthy life.

[Diets around the world are getting worse, not better]

Afshin, an assistant professor in the department of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, said that researchers had evaluated data from a survey of food consumption, food sales, and food. Household spending over the last three decades, to estimate the impact of a poor diet on death by noncommunicable death. diseases, such as heart disease.

The researchers estimated that in 2017, cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of diet-related deaths worldwide, followed by some cancers and diabetes.

"The findings are based on limited data and assumptions, but the findings are consistent with key reports from medical and public health authorities," said Marion Nestle, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at the University of New York. Nestle noted that researchers seemed to recommend a diet that was widely, but not exclusively, herbal, "and that's what everyone says today."

Afshin said that the countries where the Mediterranean diet – rich in fiber and heart-healthy fibers – were rich – had the best results according to the researchers' model, with Israel ranking first in terms of the number of deaths related to the disease. diet. France and Spain ranked respectively second and third, according to research. Afshin has defined the Mediterranean diet as a diet characterized by a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and healthy oils, such as olive oil.

The United States ranked No. 43.

Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic where refined carbohydrates such as bread and pasta are staple foods, had the worst score, with a death rate of 891 per 100,000 population.

Bruce Lee, Associate Professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Executive Director of the World Center for Obesity Prevention, said the research provided additional support for the fact that poor diets are associated to noncommunicable diseases, which have become the leading cause of death in the world, but he noted that nutrition is not the only factor. Physical inactivity and various environmental, economic and social factors are the main contributors, he said.

"The diet can contribute to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through increased body weight and obesity, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia or high blood fat levels and conditions leading to high blood pressure. high sugar, "Lee said in an email. He added that the problem is that "unhealthy foods such as those that are highly processed with artificial ingredients are often less expensive to manufacture, store, ship and prepare. As a result, these foods have replaced natural and healthy foods in food systems around the world. "

But is a bad diet really responsible for more deaths than even smoking?

Nestle, from the University of New York, suggested that it made sense that dietary risk is higher because everyone eats – but not everyone smokes. So she said that "food is a risk factor for everyone".

Researchers have not found a country that has always performed well in all forms of diet. For example, Israel, which has the highest overall score, is ranked lowest in terms of consumption of processed meats. Afshin, however, said the results should inspire people to try to eat better and policy makers to create and promote policies to increase the consumption of healthy foods.

Read more:

The Mediterranean diet works – but not if you are poor, a study reveals

Why does the Mediterranean diet work? It's not just food, it's his way of eating it