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The Global Burden of Disease Study noted which foods, if added to the diet, might save lives. More nuts and seeds? 600,000 lives. How about vegetables? 860,000 lives. More whole grains. An incredible 1.6 million lives a year. Fruits. Worldwide, if humanity ate more fruits, we might save an estimated 1.7 million lives.

— Michael Greger How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease (2025)

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A plant-based diet is like a one-stop shop against chronic diseases.

Consuming too much salt kills an estimated 1.9 million people a year.
In the United States alone, up to ninety-two thousand lives could be saved each year simply by eating less salt.

Artificially sweetened beverage consumption [of fizzy drinks ] is associated with leukemia, so we should eliminate fizzy drinks from our diets for this reason—and many others.

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease (2025)

The turmeric spice component curcumin, a simple spice found in the supermarket, might have the ability to slow or stop multiple myeloma in a percentage of patients. It couldn't hurt to spice up our diet.

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease (2025)

We've known for decades that even a single workout can elevate mood and that physical activity is associated with decreased symptoms of depression. For example, one study of nearly five thousand people across the United States found that people who exercised regularly had 25 percent lower odds of a major depression diagnosis.

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease (2025)

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