New study claims eating just 1 hot dog reduces your life by 36 minutes

Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences say that eating just one hot dog shaves 36 minutes off a person's life, according to a recent Fox News report.

What are the details?

The study's authors explained that their newly released nutritional index aims to inform Americans about how to achieve "healthier and more environmentally stable diets," the outlet reported.

Among those on the index's danger zone included hot dogs, sugary drinks such as soda, and breakfast sandwiches among the biggest offenders.

Fruits, non-starchy and mixed vegetables, and cooked grains were among the best health defenders.

According to the outlet, researchers determined that consuming just one 85-gram serving of chicken wings shaved off about 3.3 minutes of life, while an all-beef hot dog resulted in 36 minutes lost "largely due to the detrimental effect of processed meat."

However, consuming a peanut butter and jelly sandwich increased a person's life by 33 minutes, and other foods such as "salted peanuts, baked salmon, and rice with beans" also saw gains between 10 and 15 minutes.

What did the authors say?

"We use the results to inform marginal dietary substitutions, which are realistic and feasible," authors wrote. "We find that small, targeted, food-level substitutions can achieve compelling nutritional benefits and environmental impact reductions."

“Previous studies investigating healthy or sustainable diets have often reduced their findings to a discussion of plant-based versus animal-based foods, with the latter stigmatized as the least nutritious and sustainable," a portion of the study, published in the August 2021 issue of Nature Food, said. “Although we find that plant-based foods generally perform better, there are considerable variations within both plant-based and animal-based foods that should be acknowledged before such generalized inferences are warranted."

Researchers also concluded that swapping 10% of daily caloric consumption from food items such as beef, processed meats, and other unhealthy highly refined foods, for other higher quality food items like leafy green vegetables, nuts, and more could render "significant health benefits," Fox News added.

This story has been updated.