the food we eat shapes our health

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."
– Ann Wigmore

What we put on our plates every day has a big impact on our health. Many people eat a lot of unhealthy foods like sugary sodas, fast food burgers and fries, and white bread. These foods taste good, but they can lead to serious health problems over time.

Eating too much of these unhealthy processed foods can cause diseases like heart problems, diabetes, and obesity. But how exactly do these foods harm our bodies?

One way is by hurting the good bacteria in our gut. We have trillions of tiny bacteria living in our intestines that help keep us healthy. But when we eat lots of junk food, it can kill off the good bacteria and let harmful bacteria grow instead.

Another problem is that processed foods can make our bodies stop responding properly to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps control our blood sugar. When our bodies don't respond to it well, it can lead to diabetes.

Unhealthy diets also cause inflammation in our bodies. A little inflammation when we're sick or injured is normal and helps us heal. But eating lots of junk food can cause long-term inflammation throughout our body, which can damage our organs over time.

All of these effects add up to increase our risk of many diseases. One big study looked at over 100,000 people and found that for every 10% increase in ultra-processed food people ate, their risk of getting cancer went up by 12%. That's a big jump from just a small change in diet.

The effects of poor diet are seen all around the world. Another study found that in 2017 alone, about 11 million deaths globally were probably caused by unhealthy eating. The study also measured something called "disability-adjusted life years" or DALYs. One DALY represents losing one year of healthy life. The study found that poor diets caused 255 million DALYs worldwide in that single year.

These numbers show us that the food we eat doesn't just affect how we feel today - it shapes our health for years to come. By choosing healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, we can protect our bodies and live longer, healthier lives.

Making changes to our diet isn't always easy, especially when unhealthy foods are so tasty and convenient. But understanding how these foods affect our health can motivate us to make better choices. Even small improvements in our diets can add up to big health benefits over time.