• Question: Do different types of food cause you to have a higher chance of disease?

    Asked by to Sarah, Liz, Emilie on 5 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Liz Wells

      Liz Wells answered on 5 Mar 2014:


      Hi

      Science and research tries to identify links between certain food and higher risks of developing disease in the long term. But as human we eats lots of different food , indulge in lots of different behaviours and have different genes that affect our risk of developing diseases – which can make it harder for scientists to tell if that one food has caused a certain disease.

      Some links have been made :

      Being overweight and eating a high sugar diet ( sweets, sugary drinks, chocolate) in the long term can increase your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

      A diet high in animals fats ( crisps, butter, chips) can increase you cholesterol levels , which may cause you develop heart disease.

      Whereas a diet high in fruit ,fibre and vegetables combined with a varied diet and exercise will help to protect you from diseases through your life.

    • Photo: Sarah Jose

      Sarah Jose answered on 5 Mar 2014:


      Liz is definitely right, but I’d also add that eating food low in vitamins and minerals puts you at risk of a lot of different diseases.

      Vitamin C is great for preventing infections and colds, so have a drink of orange juice each morning to keep healthy!

      Vitamin A is really important for healthy eyes. You know how they say that carrots let you see in the dark? Carrots are full of vitamin A and can prevent night blindness.

      Calcium is important for growing bones, but also to keep them strong as you get older.

      Iron is used in the blood to carry oxygen around your body. If you don’t get enough, you’ll become anaemic, leaving you tired and more likely to get an infection.

    • Photo: Emilie Combet

      Emilie Combet answered on 6 Mar 2014:


      No specific food is linked to a specific disease, as it is nutritional balance which matters most. As we eat our way through the week, we will make choices, which overall, should lead to a balanced intake of nutrients (including carbohydrate, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals etc). It is when we consistently make choices that are not contributing to a balanced diet that our risk of certain diseases increase.

      There is a lot of evidence linking diets rich in salt or saturated fats, increases the risk of heart disease, for example. Similarly, there is evidence that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables decrease the risk for certain diseases (including cancer, heart diseases, etc).

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