It’s a tough day for the thousands of people who collectively crack open a soft drink when the clock strikes 3 p.m., because – shock, horror – it turns out they’re not actually that good for you.
Your emotional support Coke might be shaving years off your life, according to a study which found you can lose 12 minutes every time you reach for your favorite sweet beverage.
Researchers at the University of Michigan compiled a list ranking 5,800 foods based on their effects on longevity, by considering things like additives, fats, calories, and sugar content.
They assessed the health impact of one gram of a particular food and then adjusted it to a standard serving size to create a Health Nutritional Index.
Soft drinks shave 12 minutes off life
They found that every hot dog consumed costs a person 36 minutes of “healthy” life.
This high risk is due to their preservatives and nitrates, which are compounds added to food that enhance flavour, colour, and texture – and have been linked to certain cancers.
They also considered other risk factors like sodium and trans fatty acids found in hot dogs.
Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as Coca Cola and Mountain Dew, can shorten life by 12 minutes, bacon by six minutes, and a double cheeseburger trims just under nine minutes.
Chicken wings deduct three minutes and 30 seconds, while cured meats, like prosciutto, could cost you 24 minutes.
The research also revealed that even a serving of cheese can take over a minute off a healthy lifespan.
The good news
Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom.
The study also showed that you can add minutes to your life by consuming healthier foods.
For example, a banana was found to contribute 13 and a half minutes to life, a portion of baked salmon, another 16 minutes, and 30 grams of nuts can prolong your life by 26 minutes.
By swapping just 10 per cent of daily calories from beef and processed meats for fruits, veggies, legumes, and nuts, you could potentially add an estimated 48 minutes to your life, according to the study.
“The urgency of dietary changes to improve human health … is clear,” said Dr Olivier Jolliet, the researcher behind the study, as reported by The Conversation.
“Our findings demonstrate that small, targeted substitutions offer a feasible and powerful strategy to achieve significant health and environmental benefits without needing dramatic dietary shifts.”
Environmental factors were also studied
The study also examined the environmental impact of foods, including production, processing, and manufacturing, and scored them accordingly.
Foods were classified into three color zones: green, yellow, and red, based on their combined nutritional and environmental performances.
Green zone foods, recommended for increasing in one’s diet, included nuts, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and some seafood.
Red zone foods consisted of processed meats, particularly beef, pork, lamb, and other processed meats.
A limitation of the study is that the data does not differentiate within the same food group, such as the health benefits of a watermelon versus an apple, or Coca Cola versus Sprite.
