A groundbreaking study evaluating more than 5,800 foods in the American diet has revealed that drinking a can of soda could subtract 12 minutes of a healthy life.
The research, carried out by experts from The University of Michigan and featured in the Nature Food journal, examined individual foods based on their composition and calculated the impact on human health using data from the Global Burden of Disease epidemiological study.
Scientists also examined the environmental consequences of different foods using the IMPACT World+ method, scrutinising them throughout their life cycle including processing, manufacturing, preparation, consumption and waste.
Whilst cola consumption showed negative health impacts, the study found more concerning results for other foods.
Consuming a hot dog could strip away 36 minutes of healthy living, whilst a 1 oz portion of nuts and seeds would actually contribute 25 minutes.
Vegetarian and vegan options have become standard fare in the American diet, and the research provides valuable insights for those conscious of how food choices affect both personal health and planetary wellbeing.
The experts encourage people to incorporate more nutritionally valuable foods into meals, including field-grown fruits, vegetables, nuts and environmentally-friendly seafood, whilst cutting back on heavily processed meat, beef, shrimp and greenhouse-cultivated vegetables.
The findings demonstrate that small, targeted substitutions offer a feasible and powerful strategy to achieve significant health and environmental benefits without requiring dramatic dietary shifts.
Replacing just 10 percent of daily calories from beef and processed meats with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and selected seafood could extend healthy living by 48 minutes per person each day.
The research, carried out by experts from The University of Michigan and featured in the Nature Food journal, examined individual foods based on their composition and calculated the impact on human health using data from the Global Burden of Disease epidemiological study.
Scientists also examined the environmental consequences of different foods using the IMPACT World+ method, scrutinising them throughout their life cycle including processing, manufacturing, preparation, consumption and waste.
Whilst cola consumption showed negative health impacts, the study found more concerning results for other foods.
Consuming a hot dog could strip away 36 minutes of healthy living, whilst a 1 oz portion of nuts and seeds would actually contribute 25 minutes.
Vegetarian and vegan options have become standard fare in the American diet, and the research provides valuable insights for those conscious of how food choices affect both personal health and planetary wellbeing.
The experts encourage people to incorporate more nutritionally valuable foods into meals, including field-grown fruits, vegetables, nuts and environmentally-friendly seafood, whilst cutting back on heavily processed meat, beef, shrimp and greenhouse-cultivated vegetables.
The findings demonstrate that small, targeted substitutions offer a feasible and powerful strategy to achieve significant health and environmental benefits without requiring dramatic dietary shifts.
Replacing just 10 percent of daily calories from beef and processed meats with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and selected seafood could extend healthy living by 48 minutes per person each day.