Integrative Healthcare Solutions

Most deaths in the United States are preventable, and they are

related to what we eat.

The number one cause of death in America is the American diet. Many people assume that our manner of death is programmed into our genes. High blood pressure by fifty-five, heart attacks at sixty, maybe even cancer at seventy, and so on… But for most of the leading causes of death, the science shows that our genes often account for only 10-20% of the risk at most. For example, when people move from low-risk to high-risk countries, their disease rates almost always change to those of the new environment. New diet, new diseases. But the reverse is also true. If we’re eating the Standard American Diet and switch to a diet

higher in whole plant foods, such as fruits and vegetables, this can lead to fewer diseases.

Adhering to just four simple healthy lifestyle factors can have a strong impact on the prevention of chronic diseases: not smoking, not being obese, getting a half hour of exercise a day, and eating healthier — defined as consuming more fruits, veggies, and whole

grains, but less meat. Those four factors alone were found to account for 78% of chronic disease risk. Maybe it’s time we stop blaming genetics and focus on the risk factors that are directly under our control.  We have the power. It turns out a more plant-based diet may help prevent—and in some cases even help treat or reverse—every single one of our fifteen leading causes of death, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and more.