The experts say you need to eat a healthy diet, but what does that mean? Why should you bother to keep away from comfort foods like pizza and cake and go for things like salad, steak, or plain fruit? There are so many reasons why you should care about your diet! It’s the ultimate insurance against aging and disease, setting the foundation for every goal from weight loss to muscle gain. Eating a healthy diet is also more than looks. If your hormones are wreaked, your digestion is out of whack, or your energy barely exists, then you always need to check on what goes into your body. Don’t believe me? Here’s what the research has to say when it comes to your diet.

Your Heart:

One out of every four deaths is caused by heart disease, killing over 370,000 people each year. [1] The risk factors behind it- blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis- are all influenced by our food choices. A review of the current research on food and cardiovascular disease concludes that, “Short term controlled-feeding studies with CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk factors as outcomes, long term prospective cohort studies with CHD [coronary heart disease], stroke and T2DM [type 2 diabetes] as outcomes,, and a limited number of RCTs with CVD as the outcome collectively show that multiple aspects of diet substantially influence CVD risk.” [2]

Your Brain: 

Nutrients like omega-3 fats, monounsaturated fats, Vitamin E, and the B complex, and antioxidants all have been shown to support brain health. [3] They support nerves, lower inflammation, and protect against neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s. According to registered dietitian Liz Weinandy, “Mounting research shows that a healthy diet improves brain performance and preserves brain function. It makes sense- we know diet choices affect blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. When any of these levels are off, it can be bad for the brain and increase the risk for stroke, dementia, and decreased cognition.” [4] Need something more specific? Take this overview of the MIND diet, which was specifically designed for the prevention of neurodegenerative disease and decay, “The difference in decline rates for being in the top tertile of MIND diet scores versus the lowest was equivalent to being 7.5 years younger in age… The study findings suggest that the MIND diet substantially slows cognitive decline with age.” [5] Get that? A healthy diet (like the MIND diet) could potentially lower brain aging as much as 7.5 years!

Your Mood:

Food is tied to our emotions. Emotionally, we look forward to seasonal favorites like Thanksgiving turkey and Fourth of July barbeque. With the seasons, there’s winter squash, spring berries, summer peaches, and fall apples. The term “comfort food” exists for a reason- why else do we love our mother’s home cooking, or a nice bowl of soup whenever it’s cold outside? But if you need further proof, take this recent analysis from 2017 on the effects of diet towards depression. The researchers studied numerous diet patterns and confirmed that participants who ate healthier foods (similar to something like the Mediterranean diet) had “significantly” lower chances of developing depression. [6]

Your Hormones

Our hormones- which influence everything from sleep to metabolism- depend on nutrients to function. Not only that, we need nutrients to make enough! If we’re deficient, things can quickly go haywire. PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is very similar to diabetes in that insulin resistance is a known risk factor for causing it. [7] And because our food choices heavily influence insulin resistance, it stands to reason that it too can affect hormones and conditions like PCOS. 

The hormone estrogen is also affected by diet. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts contain compounds such as DIM, Indole-3-carbinol, and isoflavones that prevent excess estrogen in the body. This benefit is two-fold. In men, this keeps testosterone in check by blocking the conversion of it into estrogen. [8] And in women, this lowers breast cancer risk, as excess estrogen drives the growth of cancer cells. [8] [9]

 Your Bones

Do you want to keep living the way you do? To be able to go wherever you want to, travel, see the world, accomplish your dreams, and be there with your loved ones? Your bones carry you through all of those things. But only if you take care of them! Say goodbye to working out, hiking, dancing, or most physical activity if your bones are brittle and frail, and you need a nurse to help you to the door. Osteoporosis is known as a “silent condition” because people don’t realize they have it until they start getting fractures. According to National Bone Health Alliance Governance Committee member Diane Schneider, MD, “Ninety percent of adult bone mass is in place by the end of adolescence, and it has to last you a lifetime. Not getting enough nutrients to develop strong bones puts people at risk later for breaking a bone or osteoporosis. A healthful, balanced diet, and a healthful weight can prevent bone disease.” [10] Essential nutrients for bone health like calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K can all be obtained in our diet. Instead of relying on pills or medications, we can easily (and affordably) take control of our diet.

Your Gut

The gut is all about food! Did you know that your food not only affects the bacteria that live in it, but that those bacteria influence what you eat, too? [11] It’s a symbiotic relationship between our digestion heroes and us! Not only that, but those bacteria are responsible for a host of other things, like defending us from pathogens (infections), boosting our mood, balancing our hormones, protecting our heart, lowering inflammation, influencing our weight and appetite, and making vitamins? [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

Food is Information

As you can see, food is more than something that tastes good or has a bunch of calories. It’s what keeps us alive and thriving. One of my go-to experts, Dr. Hyman, MD, has a perfect way of explaining it, “Food is not just calories, it is information. It talks to your DNA and tells it what to do. The most powerful tool to change your health, environment and the entire world is your fork.” [19]

What do you think? Has this changed the way you view your diet? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!

Sources:

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4597475/
[3] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324044.php#berries
[4] https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/boost-your-brain-power-with-the-right-nutrition
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4581900/
[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178117301981
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277302/
[8] https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jmf.1998.1.67
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5998357/
[10] https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/021313p44.shtml
[11] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-gut-bacteria-tell-their-hosts-what-to-eat/
[12] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/do-gut-bacteria-inhibit-weight-loss
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052746/
[14] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neuroscience-in-everyday-life/201908/gut-bacteria-can-influence-your-mood-thoughts-and-brain
[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5017946/
[16] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/are-gut-bacteria-linked-to-heart-health
[17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257638/
[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3144392/
[19] https://www.ecowatch.com/dr-mark-hyman-food-2553651650.html