RESEARCH REVIEW
WOULD YOU TRADE 35 MINUTES OF
We all know that certain foods are bad for us and others good , but a new study starkly reinforces this by allocating precise numbers to a huge range of foods .
Review by Dr Mike Climstein , PhD & Dr Joe Walsh , PhD
CEC ARTICLE
5 OF 5 ARTICLES
YOUR LIFE FOR A HOT DOG ?
Title : Small targeted dietary changes can yield substantial gains for human health Authors : Dr . Stylianou and colleagues ( Department of Environmental Health Sciences , School of Public Health , University of Michigan USA ) Source :
Nature FOOD , available free online here
Introduction : There is a good reason why I have never studied nutrition , dietetics , whatever you want to call it : I am not an embodiment of ‘ clean eating ’. Sure , I surf , swim or go to the gym every day , but my morning snack at 7:30 am is either a couple doughnuts ( cinnamon is my favourite ), lamingtons , hot cross buns ( when available ) or apple scrolls … and of course , a glass of Coke at midday . I think you get the idea - there is clearly room to improve my diet . However , I adhere to the life mantra of work hard , exercise hard and eat what I like . This diet extraordinaire no doubt explains my higher than desired adipose level of 16.7 %. On the bright side , however , my metabolic age is 20 years younger than my chronological age and my lipids are excellent , so my physical activity must be offsetting these indulgences !
In all honesty , except for the morning snacks , Coke and evening chocolate ( did I omit to mention that above ?), I believe I otherwise eat a very clean diet , as delusional as that may sound . Now , my colleagues are well aware of my ‘ food choices ’ yet are polite enough not to scold me for them . Joe has adopted a unique approach , by indirectly informing me how I am either adding or subtracting years to or from my life by what I eat , courtesy of a newly published article that is the subject of this issue ’ s Research Review .
Dr Stylianou and her colleagues conducted a study in which they identified foods that either promote health ( which they report in terms of life years added ), or that reduce years from one ’ s life . They developed a Health Nutritional Index ( HENI ) to quantify the health effects in minutes of healthy life gained or lost of almost 6,000 foods . The authors state that the overconsumption of foods detrimental to health , and an underconsumption of foods beneficial to health , account for more than 10 million disabilityadjusted life years ( ie ., DALY , which is the number of years lost due to premature mortality ).
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