9 Ways That Eating Processed Food Made the World Sick and Fat

If you want to be, you should spend buy are eat real food, not processed food. Unfortunately, most Americans currently do the opposite and their health suffers as a result.

9 Reasons Processed Foods May Make You Sick and Fat

The worldwide overconsumption of processed foods is resulting in the increase in the incidence of chronic disease and obesity.

How is that happening:

1. Processed Foods Are High in Sugar and/or High Fructose Corn Syrup - This results in not only consuming empty calories, but also insulin resistance, high triglycerides, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

2. Processed Foods Are Designed to Make You Overeat - Your body is designed to naturally regulate how much you eat and the energy you burn. But food manufacturers have figured out how to over-ride these intrinsic regulators, designing processed foods that are engineered to by “hyper-rewarding” and addictive. There is a tendency for distinct flavors to increase their “craveability”. The flavors stimulate your taste buds just enough, without overwhelming them, thereby overriding your brain’s inclination to say “enough”.

3. Processed Foods Contain Artificial Ingredients - Processed foods may contain dozens of artificial chemicals that are in no way real “food”. These include; preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors (which may include 10 or more chemicals) and texturants (chemicals that add a texture to food).

Food manufacturers typically claim that artificial food additives are safe, but research says otherwise. Artificial ingredients have been linked to health problems such as neurological disorders, allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, changes in mood and behavior, hyperactivity, cancer, allergic reactions and more. Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a chemical preservative found in Chicken McNuggets, is so deadly that just five grams can kill you.

4. You Can Become Addicted to Processed Foods -Whole foods have a combination of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fiber and water to help you feel satisfied. Processed foods stimulate dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter, making you feel good even though the food lacks nutrients and fiber. Dopamine stimulation can lead to excessive food cravings and food addiction.

Last year, Oreo cookies were found to be just as addictive as cocaine or morphine. Oreos activate more neurons in the pleasure centers of rat brains than exposure to illicit drugs did. Potato chips, however, are among the most addictive junk foods on the market.

5 . Processed Foods Are Typically High in Refined Carbohydrates - Refined carbohydrates quickly break down to sugar in your body. This increases your insulin and leptin levels and contributes to insulin resistance, which is the primary underlying factor of nearly every chronic disease and condition.

6. Most Processed Foods Are Low in Nutrients - Processed foods often have the real nutrition processed right out, then sometimes added back in in the form of synthetic vitamins and minerals. These synthetics are not the same as natural vitamins and are mostly manufactured in China.

7. Processed Foods Are Typically Low in Fiber - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises Americans to eat between 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day, but most adults don’t even eat half that much. Unless you regularly eat whole fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, you may be missing out on the healthiest forms of fiber available.

8. It Requires Less Energy and Time to Digest Processed Foods - Real food needs to be chewed about 30 times before swallowing. Processed food need to be chewed only about 12 times. It also takes less energy to digest processed food, leaving room for more! Think of the difference between chewing a potato chip or a piece of broccoli.

9. Processed Foods Are Often High in Trans Fats and Processed Vegetable Oils - Synthetic trans fats are common in foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as crackers, chips, most store-bought baked goods and any fried foods. Synthetic trans fats promote inflammation, which is a hallmark of most chronic and/or serious diseases. Most processed foods also contain high amounts of omega-6 fats in the form of processed vegetable oils. These polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) tend to stimulate inflammatory processes in your body and they are very chemically unstable and prone to oxidation. Consuming these oxidized fats in excess has been linked to all sorts of health problems, such as atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Eating real food promotes good health. The best choice is to prepare your food at home, since you will know what you are eating. This may not be so convenient as eating fast food, but the price of good health is inconvenience.

For More Information:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/12/9-dangers-...