Better Diet Lowers Women’s Death Risk

The typical U.S. diet increases women’s risk of death, a study suggests. The study included 72,113 healthy women in the Nurses’ Health Study. They answered questions about eating habits every two to four years for 18 years. Deaths from heart and artery disease were 22% higher in women who ate a “Western” diet. This included red and processed meats, refined grains, fries and sweets. The death risk was 21% higher for any cause and 16% higher for cancer. Women following a “prudent” diet lived longer. They ate lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish and poultry. Their death risk was 28% lower for heart and artery disease. It was 17% lower for all causes combined. The study appeared June 24 in the journal Circulation.