You probably know how important it is to maintain a healthy diet. Yet only about 12% of Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits every day, and only 10% get the recommended amount of vegetables.

That’s why I keep dishing up evidence of how important your diet is, in the hope that more people will decide to have at least seven (nine is better) servings of fruits and veggies daily.

And two new reports scream the importance of a plant-based diet.

The first addresses the dangers of ultra-processed foods. A study in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism found that for young adults ages 17 to 22, every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption is associated with a 64% higher risk of prediabetes and a 56% higher risk of problems with blood sugar regulation.

Because ultra-processed foods make up more than half the calories most Americans consume, you can see the near-inevitability of younger people developing prediabetes and full-blown Type 2 diabetes — along with the life-shortening complications they cause.

The second study shows that a diet loaded with sweets, red meats, and processed meats boosts your risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

No wonder the estimated number of new Parkinson’s cases has gone up 50% — from around 60,000 new cases to about 90,000 per year.

In contrast, eating more fruits (especially citrus) appears to be protective.

Now dive into the amazingly tasty, health-protecting recipes in “The What to Eat When Cookbook.”