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Topics: Food and Drink, Christmas, Science
Mia Williams
Scientists have revealed that eating a hot dog, as well as other ultra-processed foods, could actually shorten your life.
'Oh well, it's Christmas' - an excuse we all use to eat whatever we want, whenever, during the festive season.
And while eating delicious food is entirely what the Christmas period is about, health professionals are warning of the dangers that can occur if you adopt these habits all year round.
Ultra-processed foods are a complete no-go for any nutritionist.
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But food experts at the University of Michigan wanted to see how much time exactly it shaves off your life expectancy, by consuming one hot dog.
And the results are completely shocking.
The 2021 study looked at a whole range of ultra-processed foods, including cured meats, pizza and mac and cheese.
The nutritionist found that eating a hot dog could cost someone an average of 36 minutes, while a cured meat could shave off around 24 minutes.
I, like perhaps you are, am currently trying to work out how much time I may have left to work with at this point.
If you like drinking soda, that's going to cost you 12 minutes.
This really isn't looking too great.
But it's not all bad news!
As eating the right food can actually add time to your life...aren't we just so glad to hear that.
Consuming certain types of fish could add up to 28 minutes to a lifespan.
Unsurprisingly, fresh fruits, vegetables and even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were found to contribute to a longer life expectancy.
Speaking to the Express, leader of the study, Dr Olivier Jolliet, said: “The urgency of dietary changes to improve human health... is clear.
"Our findings demonstrate that small, targeted substitutions offer a feasible and powerful strategy to achieve significant health and environmental benefits without requiring dramatic dietary shifts."
Almost 75 percent of the food consumed in the US is considered to be ultra-processed, which is a huge health concern.
The category of food has been linked to more than 30 conditions, including multiple types of cancer, and can lead to an early death.
Health experts are particularly worried about a sharp rise in colon cancer cases in young people, which some are suggesting is linked to their increased intake of ultra-processed foods.