It will come as no surprise to read that our diets have a marked effect on our long-term health and longevity. Increasingly, experts are sending out the message that calories aren’t created equal – it matters where they come from.
A landmark study from the US National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases in 2019 fed two groups of participants ‘equally enjoyable’ diets that were matched for calories, sugar, fat, fibre and macronutrients. The only difference is that one group was fed ultra-processed food and the other unprocessed food.
A growing body of research links ultra-processed food (UPFs, which now make up more than half of the average person’s daily calorie intake in the UK) to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. One 2022 study from the University of Navarra found that UPFs cause the body to age faster and increase the risk of all-cause mortality.
Researchers at the University of Michigan who created a Health Nutritional Index in 2021 found that every hot dog a person eats takes a shocking 36 minutes off their healthy life expectancy. Soft drinks (such as coca cola) shortened life by 12 minutes, bacon by six minutes and each double cheeseburger devoured shaved off just under nine minutes. The research also revealed that even a portion of cheese eaten can take over a minute off a healthy lifespan.
But, before you ditch your weekend rashers, it’s not all bad news – the index also showed that it’s equally possible to add minutes to our healthy life expectancy by eating better foods. For instance, each banana was shown to add 13 and a half minutes to life, as was a portion of baked salmon.
At this point, you may be wondering: of course, hot dogs shouldn’t be the mainstay of our diet, but surely having one occasionally can’t hurt? No, eating a single hot dog won’t necessarily shave 36 minutes off your life in real time, but almost all experts agree that the category they fall in – UPFs – spells seriously bad news for our health.
So if you're looking to lead a healthier and slightly longer life, we've listed some foods to be wary of. Fear not, however, we've also found some equally delicious alternatives to swap into your diet.
1. Hot dogs
Unfortunately, ultra-processed hot dogs came out on top of the study’s list of dietary villains, with each one said to take 36 minutes off a healthy lifespan. If you’re looking for a healthier barbecue dish, opt for hearty homemade veggie burgers: start with Anna Jones’ ultimate vegetarian burgers packed with portobello mushrooms, haricot beans and grains.
The study also showed that seafood has longevity benefits, adding five minutes to healthy life expectancy per serving, so you could consider switching a hot dog for fish or barbecue prawns.
2. Bacon
Bad news for those who love a bacon sandwich. Cured meats came second in the study’s list of foods to avoid as a portion is said to cost 26 minutes of healthy life expectancy (when both nutrition and carbon footprint are taken into account). An Oxford University study in 2019 found that eating processed red meat just once a day increases bowel cancer risk by a fifth.
Get inventive with plant-based swaps – gently fried porcini or shiitake mushrooms can make a surprisingly meaty bacon alternative.
3. Cheeseburgers
Unsurprisingly, research shows that cheeseburgers aren’t great for your health. In fact, each double cheeseburger costs 8.8 minutes in healthy life expectancy. The good news is that small, sustainable dietary changes can have a big impact for both individual health and the environment – so, if you’re a meat-eater, consider replacing just a small proportion of your daily calories with fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
Salmon scored highly for longevity, with each portion adding 13.5 minutes to life – but the researchers noted that it doesn’t score as well for environmental impact.
4. Soft drinks
Surprise surprise, soft drinks aren’t great for your health, either. As well as taking 12.4 years off a healthy lifespan according to the University of Michigan's study, other research has linked heavy consumption to an increased risk of bowel cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
No one wants to be smugly told to switch their can of cola for a green tea – but given its manifest health benefits (it’s rich in polyphenols, which protect against heart disease), it’s worth considering. Another study found that good old English breakfast tea can cut the risk of dementia by half – so put down the can and stick the kettle on.
5. Packaged snacks and bread
The Health Nutritional Index links ‘sweet bakery products’ and ‘quick bread and bread products’ with modest reductions in healthy life expectancy, and a portion of nuts with a substantial 26 minute increase, so this swap should be a no-brainer.
Snacking on nuts has well-documented health benefits from reducing the risk of heart disease and obesity to promoting healthy cognitive function.
This article is kept updated with the latest information.
