While millions of Americans turn to their doctors for medicines to cure their ills, according to a recent CNN report, for many of them the answer is really a need for healthy food.
What is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes? According to the report, it’s bad eating habits.
Eating too much salty food led to an estimated 9.5% of all diet-related deaths in 2012.
Too much red meat led to to an estimated 4.2% of diabetes-related deaths . Too much processed meat, including bacon, led to to an estimated 8.2% of all diet-related deaths, primarily heart disease and diabetes.
Too many sugary beverages led to to an estimated 7.4% of all early, diet-related deaths, a not eating enough fruit led to to an estimated 7.5% diet-related “cardiometabolic deaths” in 2012, the researchers said in a recent study in JAMA.

Two servings of fruit are recommended each day.
Not eating enough vegetables led to to an estimated 7.6% of diet-related deaths, not eating enough nuts and seeds led to an estimated 8.5% of diet-related cardiometabolic deaths in 2012. And too few whole grains led to to an estimated 5.9% of all diet-related deaths due to heart problems, stroke and diabetes during 2012.
An estimated 45.4% of all deaths caused by heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes are associated with eating either too much or too little of just 10 food categories, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Poor diet was also associated with a greater percentage of mortality among younger people vs. older people.