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You all must know about the effects of a good diet on your health but do you know how bad nutrition can hurt your health?
The effects of a bad diet will breed upon you slowly. That means while you can probably eat poorly for a few months or sometimes a few years without feeling immediate consequences besides maybe some weight gain. Eventually, you will see your health deteriorate much faster than normal.

The following diseases are all directly linked to poor food choices.

1. Heart diseases

Heart diseases are the no. 1 killer for both men and women. Most heart diseases are triggered by several factors working together like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and inactivity. All these factors can be improved by making some lifestyle changes, majorly your diet.

2. Diabetes

Although the genes you inherit may influence the likelihood of you getting diabetes. This disease is also considered a lifestyle disease because it can be avoided or at least kept in check through monitoring your weight, nutrition, and exercise. Vice versa, a bad diet will automatically increase your chances of suffering from diabetes, even if you have been blessed with good genetics. One study found that just by losing 5- 7 % of body fat while also following a more balanced diet, people with prediabetes were able to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.

3. High blood pressure

High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure or kidney failure. It is often caused by buildup in your arteries that can enlarge or harden over time to form plaques/ cholesterol. Plaques defense the arteries and narrow the passages through them. As a result, blood pressure rises. More balanced diets with a focus on healthy foods, vegetables and fruits can often reduce high blood pressure and the risk associated with it.

4. High cholesterol

While some cholesterol is needed for the formation of cell membranes, some hormones and vitamin D, a relative increase in LDL to HDL cholesterol is often linked to health problems. Unfortunately, the traditional western diet does exactly that and often leads to a less than optimal LDL and HDL cholesterol ratio and therefore can become problematic.

5. Osteoporosis

The older we get, the weaker our bones become. 50% of the women over the age of 50 and 25% of men of the same age group have osteoporosis. Calcium is an important mineral in the fight against osteoporosis which can be obtained from dairy products and leafy green vegetables. One problem is that calcium deficiency is very difficult to detect. Make sure to include these foods in your diet or to supplement calcium if you believe you are at risk of calcium deficiency.

6. Cancer

A healthy and balanced diet is extremely important to prevent cancer. Estimates go as far as to say that up to 30% cancers in developed countries can be linked to poor nutrition, obesity and a lack of exercise. While we still cannot pinpoint one exact cause of the disease, it makes sense to stay fit and healthy to decrease all the risk factors.

Now you know how adversely a bad diet can affect your health. So make sure to include all the necessary and healthy food items in your diet and also don’t forget to exercise regularly.
Eat healthily, stay fit.
Live long and happy!