“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” - does this sound familiar? If we take it back to the kindergarten phrases like these that promote healthy snacks like apples, we see that proper nutrition has consistently been at the forefront on the path towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle free of chronic disease. Approaching chronic disease treatment through the lens of prevention is of the utmost importance because health choices we make now will affect our future health. A web of physical, mental, cultural, and socioeconomic factors intertwine to determine the health outcomes of individuals and populations. However, the two main determinants of ‘good health’ could arguably be nutrition and exercise. Although the synergistic role between regular physical activity and proper nutrition in preventing chronic disease is less studied, it is a good rule of thumb to prioritize both. Today, let’s look at the role of nutrition in chronic disease prevention.

OBESITY & NUTRITION

In developed countries like the United States, the prevalence of obesity and other nutrition-related chronic diseases has surged as a result of our foodscape and increasingly sedentary lifestyles. In 2017-2018, 42.4% of adults in the United States were classified as obese. Obesity itself sets an individual on a high risk track for other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. High intake of highly processed foods coupled with deficiencies in fruits and vegetables have been associated with the obesity epidemic and other inflammatory diseases. Without disregarding the multitude of uncontrollable factors that may disproportionately affect one’s risk of obesity, this goes to show how one’s diet has a huge effect on their overall physical health and risk for developing nutrition-related chronic diseases like obesity.

NUTRITION-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASES

Nutrition plays a crucial role in diminishing the risk of obtaining chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. These diseases grip the lives of millions of Americans, yet they are preventable via proper nutrition. There is a plethora of evidence to suggest that the consumption of certain macronutrients, micronutrients, and food groups increases or decreases the risk of developing chronic diseases. Here’s a handful of ways in which our food and nutrient consumption can affect our health:

• The consistent intake of fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

• Excessive dietary sodium increases the risk of hypertension while dietary potassium lowers the risk.

• Polyunsaturated fats may prevent the development of coronary heart disease while trans fats and saturated fats may increase the risk.

Every body is built differently and reacts to every food differently, which makes nutrition such an exciting and unique field of medical care. However, for every person, diet and nutrition greatly affects the progression toward chronic disease. It is never too late to take control of your health and there is hope in the fact that the daily food choices we make for ourselves hold the power to improve our physical health.

Citations:

1. Blair SN, et al. Physical activity, nutrition, and chronic disease. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 1996; 28.3: 335-349.

2. Adult Obesity Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021 June 7.

3. Huang C, et al. Influence of physical activity and nutrition on obesity-related immune function. The Scientific World Journal. 2013.

4. Reddy KS, Katan MB. Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Public health nutrition. 2004; 7.1a.