We live in a world where a lot of people are adopting western lifestyle over their own culture including dumping their local diet for western foods but unknown to them this western diet do a lot more harm than good to their health. According to CNN's
The developing world is seeing rapid urbanization, with more
than half of the world's population now living in cities and this figure
expected to reach 70% by 2050.
But with this progression comes an urban lifestyle -- often
meaning less physical activity and the consumption of a "Western"
diet.
"[There's a] nutrition transition occurring around the
world," says David Tilman, professor of Ecology at the University of
Minnesota. In a recent study, Tilman explored global trends in diet choices
and the link between these diets and health.
"People around the world, as incomes go up, choose more
calories and meat in their diet," says Tilman. The result? Potentially
disastrous consequences on health and an increased risk of disease.
"We have a whole new group of people who are malnourished
because they eat foods that are no good for them, that have no nutritional
benefit," says Tilman. The trend contradicts the more traditional causes
of malnutrition.
Also on the rise is access to, and consumption of, processed
foods.
"Processed foods have low nutritional value," says
Tilman, who describes processed food as having empty calories. "Diets low
in fruit and vegetables have a strong negative health impact," he says.
And a diet high in processed foods -- and generally a modern
"Western" diet -- is even worse.
What is a
Western diet?
"The biggest features [of a Western diet] are
overconsumption of over-refined sugars, highly refined and saturated fats,
animal protein and a reduced intake of plant-based fibers," says Ian
Myles, from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This
translates to a diet high in fat, red meat, salt and sugars, and low in fiber.
"Too many calories in general," says Myles -- a
trend aided by the move towards a culture of fast food.
But what impact can this diet have on your health?
Increasing
your risk of infection
According to Myles, highly processed and refined foods,
common to Western meals, are disliked by the body. "It throws your immune
system off kilter," he says.
The biggest culprits in Myles' eyes are foods containing
fructose and palmitic acid -- ingredients found commonly in candy bars -- which
can kick-start an immune reaction.
"[Palmitic acid] can be confused by the body with
bacteria like E.Coli," says Myles. The body then starts an immune attack
against the supposed bacteria, which results in a low level of inflammation.
Distracting the immune system in this way means immune cells
won't be as ready to attack when facing a real infection. "It throws off
the way your body responds...and by the time you recognize it, it will have
gotten worse," says Myles.
However, the effect is reversible.
A change in diet to remove exposure to these food components
can restore immune activity back to its normal state, according to Myles.
"That low-grade inflammation will change," he says.
Changing
your gut bacteria
Your gut microbes play a crucial role in the health and
wellbeing of not only your gut, but your whole body.
"Every person carries about 1kg of microbes inside
them," says Jeremy Nicholson, head of the department of surgery and
cancer at Imperial College London. According to Nicholson, the body's gut
microbes are heavily connected with the control of the immune system, which in
turn controls inflammation.
Eating processed foods can cause the good bacteria in your
gut to be pushed out -- leaving you more exposed to the bad ones. "The
good bacteria don't survive as well," says Myles.
Obesity and
diabetes
The global increase in diets high in fat and calories is
seeing rates of obesity and diabetes rise rapidly across the world. "There
is soaring obesity," says Nicholson.
In 2014, more than 600 million adults were obese globally,
and almost 2 billion adults were overweight, according to the World Health
Organization.
"Obesity predisposes you to disease," says
Nicholson. Inflammation within the body is also high in obese individuals,
increasing their risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, stroke,
cancer and joint conditions such as arthritis. "All of these are
inflammatory conditions," says Nicholson.
Increased obesity levels are also thought to contribute to a rise
in cases of joint conditions and replacements, due to the extra pressure and
wear placed on the joints. "Obese people need hip and knee replacement
much earlier in their lives," says Nicholson.
Linked to obesity, another disease with rates now soaring
globally is diabetes, affecting 374 million people in 2014. The development of
Type II diabetes is linked with diet and numbers are rising in every country,
according to the IDF
diabetes atlas.
Cancer risk
Recent studies have linked Western diets with increased risks
of colon
and prostate
cancer. Men eating mostly a Western diet were found to have 2.5 times the
risk of dying from prostate cancer whilst the risks associated with colon
cancer again linked back to inflammation and a change in the activities of gut
bacteria.
"In obese individuals you get different microbial
compositions to produce something that can impact cancer," says Nicholson,
who led the recent research exploring risks of colon cancer. In his study, he
compared the impact of diet in a group of South Africans and African Americans
and found the African Americans to have 50 times more risk of developing colon
cancer. "The implications is that ... this is related to their Western
diet," he says. By working with African Americans, the team reduced the
impact of genetic variation which also plays a role in disease development.
Increased inflammation levels can also damage cells in the
region affected -- such as the colon -- causing higher turnover of cells. The
more cells replicate, the more chances there are for mutations in the genes they
contain -- which increases the risk of cancer.
"Cancer arrives more readily in cells with relatively
high turnover," explains Nicholson.
But Nicholson warns that cancer is not a simple disease:
"Hundreds of genes are involved," he says. "Your microbes are
part of the process but not entirely the cause."
Choices
Clearly, diet plays a large role in the health of a
population and when it comes to improving personal health, experts stress the
need for people to take more note of what they are eating.
"This is going to have to be voluntary choices people
make," says Tilman.
What will you choose?
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