Some people in their 80s are fitter and sharper than many people decades younger, a reminder that how we age is shaped not just by our genes but by our lifestyle. Coronary heart disease remains one of Australia’s leading causes of death, alongside dementia, and much of the risk comes down to how we eat and live.
Plants at dinner
It’s well established that eating more plant-based meals is beneficial for your overall health (and the health of the planet too!).
Research suggests the time of day you eat them may matter too. A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism examined data from 27,911 US adults and found that those who ate more plant foods, such as vegetables and whole grains, at dinner had around a 10 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who ate more refined carbohydrates and meat in the evening. The link held even for people who ate meat and refined carbs at other times of day. It’s an observational study, so it shows an association rather than proof, but it’s an easy change to try.
What’s harming Australians’ health?
The Global Burden of Disease study, which included data up to 2019, found the top five risk factors linked with the most deaths in Australia that year were:
- High blood pressure (25,500 deaths)
- Dietary risks (21,600 deaths)
- Tobacco use (20,100 deaths)
- High body mass index (18,700 deaths)
- High fasting blood glucose, a sign of diabetes (17,700 deaths)
The same risk factors were linked with fewer years of healthy life. One of the study’s senior authors, Professor Alan Lopez of the University of Melbourne, warned that Australia had been much less successful in curbing obesity and poor diet than in controlling COVID-19, and that the long-term decline in cardiovascular disease had stalled, along with gains in life expectancy. (Read the Guardian report.)
Ischaemic heart disease was also the leading cause of years lived with illness and disability in Australia in 2019, followed by:
- Lower back pain
- Falls
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Depressive disorders
Leading causes of death in Australia
In 2018, the five leading causes of death for Australians of all ages were:
- Coronary heart disease
- Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease
- Cerebrovascular disease, including stroke
- Lung cancer
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Many of these are strongly linked with lifestyle habits. In 2017–18, an estimated 67 percent of Australian adults were overweight or obese: 75 percent of men and 60 percent of women.
What you can do
- Make dinner your most plant-rich meal, filling half your plate with vegetables.
- Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates.
- Don’t smoke, and keep alcohol within the guidelines.
- Get your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checked regularly by your GP.
- Move your body every day.
I love this TED talk from Dr Dean Ornish on the world’s killer diet. It’s from 2006, but it’s still incredibly relevant to the new research. Please watch it: Dean Ornish on TED.
Making lasting change is easier with support before, during and after, so don’t go it alone.
This article is general information about food and wellbeing, not medical advice. Please talk to your GP or a qualified health professional about any health condition, medication or major change to your diet.
