An unhealthy diet can have serious consequences and can increase a person's risk of death from heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Factors such as smoking and genetics also contribute to our risk of developing various diseases, but neither is the biggest risk factor.
According to Dr. Stephen Kubicki, a preventive cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, "Nutrition is now the number one cause of premature death and early illness in the United States and worldwide."
Dr. Kubicki says that having genes for disease increases the risk by 30% to 40%, but having a poor lifestyle increases the risk by 300% to 400%.
Dr. Kubicki added, "About 57% of the calories we consume daily in this country come from ultra-processed foods. While ultra-processed foods tend to be convenient and cost-effective, they cause inflammation and can lead to a host of health problems over time."
He continued: “It damages our tissues. It damages our hearts. It damages our arteries, brain, pancreas, liver, and lungs. And that’s what leads to disease.”
The good news is that it’s never too late to change our eating habits. Dr. Kubicki explains that replacing just one bite of processed meat or ultra-processed food with some unprocessed food or a healthier option “will actually reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke after a year or two.”
Ultra-processed foods contain many added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, artificial colors, preservatives, and stabilizers. The ingredient list sometimes includes chemicals. Examples include soft drinks, sausages, deli meats, fast food, and packaged snacks.
Numerous studies have linked these foods to an increased risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cognitive decline.
A recent study by researchers at Imperial College London suggests that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods may be linked to an increased risk of cancer and death.