To think there's a growing amount of people who think food can fix everything?

[StructuredChaos]

Was listening to some ZOE podcasts, and love eating healthy foods myself, so it isn't a criticism of nutrition awareness. I'm a bit of a cooking nerd so love all of this stuff and finding new recipes, but I am noticing more and more people who seem to believe that eating low upf and fresh fruit and veg can add 'decades' to a human lifespan.

It certainly won't shorten it!
Surely this is an oversimplification, though?

I have always eaten in a kind of 'ZOE' way, and whilst I don't have any metabolic disease, weight problems or other issues, I am not so confident that I am going to outlive my peers due to this. It's something I can control, yes, and that's great, but I think it's deceptive to think we won't ever get cancer, heart disease, dementia or auto immune diseases if we eat in a 'clean' or ideal way.

Not to mention the 'ideal' keeps bloody changing!

I don't think life is that simple at all, even though I do champion healthy, fresh diets.
I see people who claim their spots, headaches, IBS, brain fog, joint aches and other issues immediately cease when they start eating fresh fruit and veg, or low histamine, or low inflammatory diets...... What puzzles me, as someone who has always enjoyed high fibre and fresh foods, is how nebulous those symptoms are, and not very well understood by GP's.
It allows for all manner of snake oil claims online, since the placebo effect is strong.

Just saw a vid with Tim Spector claiming that eating the ZOE way will certainly add 10 extra healthy years to your life. So if we use myself as an example of this, it doesn't take into account my familial heart disease, stroke risk, potential genetic cancers, and a world of non food related risks, of which there are countless examples.

It reminds me of those people who think they will never get ill because they don't smoke. Neither did my parents, but they died before their time (sepsis and vascular dementia).

I 💯 agree! The gym bunnies and their protein obsession- I don’t know how they even shit! And yet they harp on about it constantly, especially when they take to social media.

An orthorexic/ protein obsessed friend said to me just yesterday “I eat loads of fibre! For example for breakfast I had poached egg and spinach” 🤣 healthy? Yes. It has next to no fibre though.

however, life is life and the aim of all people to be eating an optimal diet rather than choosing what they like is bizarre.
I have plenty of friends who eat brilliantly and gym but then once a week go out to an amazing restaurant and drink strong 5 cocktails. Why not?

a couple of them were obese by the way, part of your 30%. They’re actually not obese anymore as they’re on weight loss injections. Nothing else has changed in their lives but I imagine the orthorexics excuse them from
the disgust now their BMi is under 30.

There are far more up to date research trials than that- one from around 5 years ago.

Then you acknowledged you ate a tin of Heinz

I didn’t say that at all, again reread my posts as you are confused.

Although there is nothing wrong with a tin of Heinz soup

Then you made it obvious you don't have a clue about how to make soup as you didn't appear to know the veggies are blended!

Huh?

But you didn't have to be rude or so confrontational.

😆😆😆

Please do share it so that I can educate myself then…

I eat really well and I feel like shit all the time 🤷🏻‍♀️

Your emojis aren't doing your words any favours.

You were rude, confrontational, and are still being so.

And a bit silly. Most veg soups are made from veggies and water (and stock.) WTF do you expect in them"

can't be arsed with this- more soup to make.

@LadyCrustybread thanks, I’m glad you elaborated. I don’t think anyone on the thread has said we shouldn’t eat/be healthy just that it won’t necessarily “protect” you.

On the cancer thing - I find this whole area difficult because I've had breast cancer (as my username probably gives away!) and I have always had a super-healthy lifestyle (pescatarian, loads of veg, healthy BMI, teetotal, running etc etc). If eating healthily could cause or prevent cancer, I wouldn't have had cancer! My guess is that HRT played a big role in mine (which was hormone-positive).
What I do understand is that claims about the relationship between cancer and diet are statistical - at the population-level, I understand that cancer is rarer in the healthy-eating cohort. But that doesn't mean that you can't have a super-healthy lifestyle and still get cancer! Other things play a role too.

@OliviaWhatshername No you are accusing me of things I haven’t said as I think you have confused me with someone else.

It’s not rude to correct you…

Why don’t you take some of that ownership you were talking about?

Try this recipe it’s delicious, not overly watery!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/butternut-squash-soup-chilli-creme-fraiche

My mum is 81, smoked from 14-32, is size 18-20, has never exercised in her life, eaten and drunk whatever she wanted, and apart from having lymphoma which she has beaten and a bout of pneumonia in 2023, she is going strong.

Yes she’s well overweight (and I have a tendency to be the same shape so I am more careful with how much I eat) but I have done a lot more exercise including having a horse, so I don’t care whether things are carby, upf or whatever, I just eat what I like but not too much of it.

@breastcancerpanicI didn’t mean to imply that a good diet will stop everyone from ever getting cancer and I apologise if the phrasing came off that way. A healthy diet is, on a population level, thought to be protective against a number of cancers. It is not the only contributing factor and cancer cannot be blamed on diet alone.

@LadyCrustybread don't worry - I understand what you and others are saying! I was just articulating my own struggle with hearing this message. I get that it is at a population level, but somehow my brain converts it into a more personal message and I have to remind myself that the cancer was not my fault!

Unfortunately I am not able to read it, you need a log in.

You’re talking to the wrong poster btw. Take a breath (or a sip of lentil water)

Humans are mortal so obviously food choices can't prevent death. However, nutrition research is now very advanced and it is clear that much industrially processed food is exceedingly bad for human health and ought to be avoided. Whole foods from reasoned agriculture on the other hand have all sorts of positive health benefits which not only prolong life but prolong healthy life.

Indeed. That is why am saying if UK healthy years expectancy is 62 but life expectancy is 79 then the focus (as we discuss this) should be that 62. If people who live 17 more years but not in greatest of health then better eating (and many other things) can give them more healthy years e.g. healthy life can improve to 72 rather than being 62. I put it crudely and honestly combined a part where I was being sarcastic and another where I was trying to bring facts in so you are completely correct in correcting me. even for me as a 48 year old, if I had lived a healthier life (more plants, more excercises, more meditaton, more socialising) I could have had healthier years at 48.

I really like this term "health span", and it's what motivates me to eat and exercise the way that I do (with the obvious caveat that obviously not all health conditions or illnesses can be avoided or controlled with a healthier lifestyle). As others have pointed out to the OP, it's not about extending your lifespan but increasing the number of healthy, active years you have within it.

As a nurse, I saw people whose bodies and minds were "elderly" at 60 years old, whilst others remained fit and active at 95. If there's an element to this that I can influence, then you're damn tooting I'm all over it!

I’m not particularly healthy but I do see a huge improvement when I eat better and drink water, my hair changed first, then skin, I get less stomach issues and move easier. Sadly one of the healthiest people I know died of cancer age 38 leaving behind two young kids, and she died quickly because she had so little body fat so no stores. She was so unlucky though, that’s how I think of it, she was a yoga teacher and sold foods at the local market so literally as healthy as they come and I think her dh is very caught up on the unfairness of that which is so sad and fair enough she was absolute light to everyone, so lovely

Unfortunately I cannot help with that. I’m not the person in charge of access to scientific journals. Maybe you can find it elsewhere with the following information.

The title is: Apoptosis by dietary factors: the suicide solution for delaying cancer growth

Main author: Khan, 2007.

there isn’t any point linking to a paper that we can’t read though? The free synopsis doesn’t evidence what you suggested

Well I can’t paste the information here because that would be stealing the academic’s work… it’s the source I used and so I provided the source. Your interest in the source is then your own prerogative and access to the paper yours to organise if you want to get it. I can’t magic it out from behind a paywall. I was asked for the source and I provided my source.

Yes you're so right. Unfortunately my 'pre-conception' conditions were very far from ideal - Mum didn't get enough to eat and was in an abusive relationship. It cannot have helped me. Still, can't dwell on that and have to just get on with things as they are.

If something is published online and in the public domain you aren't stealing it. The link works and it's available to read.

If you want other studies that also look at the same topic here is one you may be able to access:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2936503/

Epidemiological studies showing a protective effect of diets rich in fruits and vegetables against cancer have stressed on the possibility that naturally occurring phytochemicals can exert anti-carcinogenic activity. Evidence is also accumulating to support the notion that provision of a combination of dietary bioactive agents is more effective than treatment with a single dietary component. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that combinations of components could be designed to either target multiple pathways or exhibit potentiation or synergy of specific pathways. The interaction of components of the diet clearly requires more focus and further research.

@LadyCrustybread it's work in progress.

Not disagreeing but it's not conclusive from this link.
Which is outdated- more recent stuff is available.