Too much salt — and not enough whole grains, fruits and vegetables — may be shaving years off our lives, a new analysis suggests.
In a study published Wednesday in the Lancet, researchers looked at people’s eating habits across 195 countries to estimate how much poor diets contribute to mortality. Their findings? That 11 million people die each year around the world due, at least in part, to certain foods or lack thereof, according to the study.
Lead author Ashkan Afshin, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington, said the researchers estimated that overall, poor diets are responsible for more deaths around the world than any other risk factor, including cigarette smoking, known to be one of the greatest threats to public health.