Is a bad diet really worse for your health than smoking a pack of cigarettes? Well, a recent study analyzed 250 global studies to determine the effects of poor diets on mortality rates and found that poor diets were directly linked to more deaths worldwide than alcohol, tobacco, and drugs combined – so yes, you might want to consider making some healthy food swaps.
According to the study, here are three poor diet habits you should break.
Consuming too much sodium
Excess sodium consumption combined with a lack of nutrients is what led to more than 3 million deaths a year. The first step to limiting your sodium intake? Choose whole foods over processed ones. Turns out, processed foods are responsible for 75% of the sodium consumed around the world.
Lack of fruits
Yep, 2 million deaths were attributed to low consumption of fruits. The best way to make sure your body absorbs all the necessary nutrients is to eat a piece of fruit every morning or throw it into a delicious smoothie.
Low intake of whole grains
This one’s a little trickier, especially with low-carb, high-protein diets like paleo or keto. However, the fact of the matter is, 3 million deaths were attributed to a low intake of whole grains. Other reputable studies have also shown that including whole grains in your diet can lower your mortality rate.
xx, The FabFitFun Team
