Important Things To Know About Western Diets And Disease

By Eric Walker


As obesity rates climb in the United States, the rate of chronic illness is climbing as well. The connection between Western diets and disease is as real and undeniable as ever. Apparently, what people are eating is having a significant impact on their overall life qualities and their length of life among many other things. Following are some important facts about the link between the foods that people consume and their overall health.

It is first important to note that people in the west are consuming an inordinate amount of sugar. These individuals are eating a lot of highly processed and refined foods that contain unnecessary additives. This is the primary cause of obesity in the west, as well as diabetes, hypertension, and many other common ailments.

In addition to causing obesity and other weight-related problems, consuming massive amounts of sugar also creates considerable, internal inflammation. Inflammation is a major cause of western disease. People who eat diets that are high in sugar are more likely to deal with arthritis, fungal infections and even cancer as a result.

Corn happens to be a major commodity in the west and people are eating massive and regular servings of this vegetable. Unfortunately, however, they are not consuming it in its original state but are being exposed to byproducts of corn that the human body cannot effectively metabolize. Among some of these are maltodextrin and both corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.

There are times, however, when dietary concerns are far more related to the foods that people are not eating than the ones that they are actually consuming. People in western countries are not always making an effort to eat heart-healthy fats, whole grains, and multiple servings of fresh produce. This means that the are not experiencing the natural, revitalizing benefits of these goods.

It is additionally important to note that food quality has decreased considerably in recent years due to cost-related changes in food production. Cultivated foods tend to have fewer minerals as the result of soil depletion. As such, even when consumers are making a concerted effort to eat healthily, they may not be getting all of the nutrients that their bodies need. This had lead to problems with nutrient deficiencies that are becoming increasingly widespread.

Developed nations would be expected to have diets with particularly high nutritional values especially when compared to the diets that are maintained of necessity in nations that are still in the process of development. Foods that have been genetically modified and foods that lack key nutrients as the result of modern cultivation, however, have lead to an increased number of serious health issues. There are a number of obese Americans who are both overfed and undernourished at once. This has also led to an increase in mental health concerns that include chronic anxiety and chronic depression. These are actually among some of the more common and early symptoms of many nutritional deficiencies.

Westerners often maintain diets that are largely animal based as well. The best way to fuel the body, however, is by implementing a diet that is largely plant-based. This helps fight internal inflammation, diminish cancer rates, and fuels the body with essential antioxidants and phytonutrients. These nutritional additions actually stave off disease rather than contribute to it, by bolstering the immune system and limiting inflammation.




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