This looks good enough to serve at the White House. j/k. BEWARE:
7 scary things that can happen to your body if you eat too much processed food
Ok, let’s read the bad news.
Eating processed foods containing high-fructose corn syrup, nitrates, artificial sweeteners, MSG, food coloring, and other ingredients can take a toll on your health.
These ingredients are hiding in many of your favorite foods including breakfast cereals, takeout meals, soda, and deli meats.
Eating too much processed food is linked to obesity, digestive issues, and sleep disturbances.
Like most things in life, eating processed foods in limited amounts is OK, especially if the food has been minimally processed. It’s when you find yourself eating too many foods filled with sugar, salt, and questionable ingredients that things can take a turn for the worse. That’s why INSIDER asked the experts to give their input on the scary things that can happen to your body if you eat too much processed, junk food.
Digestive issues can be a result of excess junk foods
It’s no secret that what goes in must come out. And when the foods you’re putting in your body are processed, there’s a good chance you’ll experience some digestive issues. Dr. Farshad Fani Marvasti, MPH, director of public health, prevention & health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, told INSIDER that any processed foods – which according to the USDA comprise over 60% of the standard American diet – can cause digestive problems.
These foods have various chemicals and additives in them that are very difficult for our bodies to digest and process,” he explained. Plus, the additives are toxic to our microbiome (the good bacteria in our bodies). Marvasti said a good way to know the difference between a real food or processed food is to see the list of ingredients.
“If you don’t recognize the ingredients, it’s unlikely to be a ‘real’ food and you may have digestion issues and other related health issues,” he added.
Eating too much sugar and simple carbohydrates can cause fatigue and brain fog. The energy crash and resulting brain fog that happen from too much processed food is something most of us are all too familiar with.
Low blood sugar can happen when you eat a lot of simple carbohydrates
When you eat a lot of simple carbohydrates, your blood sugar initially increases.
You might experience less discipline when it comes to eating
“Processed foods are hyper pleasurable,” meaning every time we eat, we get a positive reward response. “This helps motivate us to eat in order to survive.”
Insulin resistance is a possibility if you eat too much sugar
Registered dietitian Linzi Cruz, LDN, CLT, told INSIDER that when we consume processed foods with high fructose corn syrup, we force the liver to output more sugar, raising blood glucose levels and contributing to increased insulin production to counteract this cascade of events. Over time, Cruz said too much correctional insulin around the cells could cause them to become insulin resistant, leading to pre-diabetes and obesity.
Processed foods can lead to an increase in anxiety and other mood disorders
When anxiety strikes, it’s not uncommon to reach for sugar-packed snacks and other processed foods. Unfortunately, the more you eat, the worse your anxiety gets. Which makes you wonder if an increase in processed foods can trigger anxiety and other mood disorders.
Eating too many processed foods can affect your sleeping patterns
A good way to throw your circadian rhythm off balance is by eating processed foods before bed. “An imbalance of too many processed carbs and too little proteins and healthy fats can send your adrenaline into a frenzy,” explained Cruz. Eating sweets at night can cause a surge of adrenaline, which Cruz said prevents the natural pattern of serotonin and often impacts sleeping patterns.
Was that seven ? I lost track. Still havent had my coffee. Anyway, just remember , everything in moderation. Really !
