In 1826, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (lawyer, chef and author) wrote “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are”. Today that applies to health also. Tell me what you eat and I can hypothesize your state of health.
In health and medicine, it is a well-established fact that people who follow a diet comprised of primarily wholesome food are healthier and people who adhere to an unhealthy food lifestyle have more medical problems. This reality also applies to longevity. A healthy diet equates with a longer life (click here). A poor diet strongly correlates with poor health and a shorter life span. The life expectancy in the US is on the decline and diet plays an important role.
UNHEALTHY FOOD
The question is why does unhealthy food negatively impact our health and longevity? I believe that the answer is pretty simple. Unhealthy food physically damages, directly and indirectly, the physical body. Repairing this damage is associated with an increased energy expenditure and, over time, damage repair is incomplete.
It could be easily and successfully argued that the US has the most unhealthy food in the industrialized world. Many foods are genetically modified not to make a better food but to sell herbicides.
American food also contain a myriad of chemicals not found in natural foods. These chemicals are primarily added to increase shelf life, not improve nutrition. Some can be quite toxic. In addition, Americans are famous for super-sizing food portions…so we get a huge daily dose of food-based toxins causing tissue damage. This results in an expenditure of a great deal of energy in tissue repair and detoxification.
Medical research convincingly correlates a diet of unwholesome foods with but not limited to:
- Adult onset diabetes (type 2 diabetes)
- Coronary artery disease
- High blood pressure
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Osteoporosis
- Many cancers
- Depression/anxiety/bipolar
- ADD/ADHD
- Heart attack/stroke
- Fibromyalgia
- Irritable bowel
- Autoimmune disease
- DECREASED LIFE SPAN
But what is it that makes some foods unhealthy. Everything we eat interacts with us in some way. Components of all foods must be processed before they can be either used or discarded. All food absorbed from the intestines must pass through the liver before entering the body proper. The liver plays a major role in this processing and detoxifying food but it is not perfect. Unhealthy food components may escape the liver before they can be “de-toxified” and discarded. Some foods have so many toxins that, over time, damage the liver making it even less efficient at its job (think fatty liver disease…click here).
Other organs also modify food components and the end products of this modification often are compounds called “free radicals” (click here). These compounds damage cells through a process called oxidation…rust is an example of oxidation. This damage (rust) results in chronic inflammation. It must be repaired by the body or ultimately the cell will die or, in some cases, transform into a cancer cell. The process of repair requires energy and over time depletes energy stores. Less energy increases the risk of disease and illness. Less energy shortens the life span. Anti-oxidants can help but they cannot compensate for a poor diet.
As an example, let’s look at bread in the US vs Germany:
| USA | Germany |
| Mostly GMO | Organic (GMO banned – Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Italy) |
| High gluten levels | Low gluten levels |
| Glyphosate (herbicide…think Roundup) 1. Affects the microbiome of bowels 2. Linked with gluten intolerance 3. Increased inflammation | No glyphosate |
| Sulfur deficient soil = increases gluten production | Sulfur rich soil |
| More body damage = More energy to heal | Less body damage = increased energy reserves |
Now multiply the effect on the American body by all of the “unhealthy” food we consume on a daily basis and then multiply that effect by decades. Over 69% of Americans are now considered “overweight” and 38% are “obese”. This makes Americans the fattest people in the industrialized world (not the fattest in the world but pretty darn close).
In some states obesity hits the 40%+ mark…coincidentally in states fried and fast foods are regularly consumed as well as one of the most toxic foods possible, smoked BBQ. Now I love good BBQ but only eat it 4-5 x per year and that is usually with a big helping of the anti-oxidant powerhouse collard greens.
Obesity is not unique to the US. It is an indicator of the quality and quantity of food consumed. China moved from 60th place for men and 41st place for women (1975) to second for severe obesity for both men and women. It is not a coincidence that during this time, consumption of unhealthy, American style food exploded in China. It is, to me at least, a wonder why we are not sicker. However, considering that many chronic illnesses are happening at a much younger age in the US…maybe my question is being answered.
HEALTHY FOOD
Healthy food is considered “healthy” because the body processes it into compounds that sustain and encourage normal cell function. They do not induce an inflammatory response and the subsequent free radical damage. Since the cells are not damaged, they do not need to be repaired. This saves energy. More energy means that the body is more resistant to illness and contribute to a longer life.
Healthy food begins, in my opinion, with genuine organic sources. The USDA has strict rules for food being labeled organic and I look for the USDA organic seal (below) to ensure organic purity. I think the rules for the organic label were originally put in place to make organic food difficult to make and market. However, the public has responded by buying organic in increasing amounts (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods). Organic farm acreage increased from 1.8 million acres in 2000 to 4.9 million acres in 2021 and continues to increase.
Sales of organic foods exceeded $63 billion in 2021. With this level of sales, food companies in the US have tried to get their “not organic” products labeled as “organic” because at least one component of the food is organic…just another ploy to trick you into thinking you are eating health…but you’re not.
DIETS
Patients ask me “which diets are best?” and what they usually mean is what diet can I do to lose weight and feel better. The answer, to me, is simple. All things in moderation. The extreme diets…all meat…all vegetables and intense fasting or medications ultimately fail because there are significant nutritional deficiencies. Over time these deficiencies can contribute to illnesses and increased energy use.
Humans are omnivores. We need some meat, fruits, nuts/seeds and veggies as part of our diet. The best diet, the one with the most research, is the Mediterranean diet (click here ) promoted by Andrew Weil MD. This type of diet is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and other healthy plant-based compounds. It limits red meat, starches and bad fats ultimately reducing inflammation. It is associated with a reduced risk of almost all illnesses and diseases. This diet does not damage the body like unhealthy food and energy is conserved.
Recommendations
Typical American diets are “high maintenance” for our body…consuming a great deal of energy. Since most Americans do not know how to recharge the energy system (topic of later post…soon), the aging process starts early. I feel that because of medications, the symptoms of a failing health system (the body and mind) can be covered up giving the illusion of health and longevity. I had a patient tell me that he was symptom free and therefore healthy…BUT he was on seven medications suppressing his symptoms.
Since the current American health care system is so broken and expensive, the best approach to health and longevity is do not squander your energy. Your body and mind have to last you a lifetime. Enjoy your food but eat as healthy as possible.