Unhealthy effects of our favourite Junk foods
Do you know why all your favourite food (eg. pizzas, pie, samosas, burgers, beef roll, etc.) are called junk food? Well, the dictionary meaning of the word junk is useless. All the fast food items that have invaded every nook and crannies of our country are called junk because they completely justify this meaning.
Today, junk food business are dominating the food industry to a great extent, but all at the cost of health and well-being of millions of consumers. Now take a look at how these Junk food affects our health.
-It can trigger digestive problems
Those who are addicted to fatty junk food are bound to suffer from digestive problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That’s because junk food is deep fried. The oil soaked in junk food gets deposited on the walls of the stomach lining, increases acid production. Spices loaded in them irritate the stomach lining, worsening GERD and digestion. Lack of fibre in them hampers digestion, increasing problems like constipation and haemorrhoids.
-It causes fatigue and weakness
It lacks most essential nutrients like proteins and vitamins required for maintenance of overall health and functioning of all the systems in your body. Although it makes you feel full and satisfied, it fails to provide you with instant energy, making you feel weak and tired after a while. If you eat junk food items for all your meals of the day over a period of time, you could suffer from chronic fatigue.
-Causes depression among teenagers
A lot of hormonal changes occur in teenagers, which makes them susceptible to mood swings and behavioural changes. And a healthy diet plays an important role in maintaining that hormonal balance. Because junk food lack those essential nutrients, the likelihood of teenagers to suffer from depression is increased by 58%.
-It causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels
They are high in refined sugar which exerts stress on your metabolism. Refined sugar causes the pancreas to secrete more amount of insulin in order to prevent a drastic spike in your blood sugar levels. Because junk food lacks sufficient levels of good carbohydrates and proteins, the levels of blood sugar drop suddenly after you eat.
-It affects the brain function
A study shows that one week of eating junk food is enough to trigger memory impairment in rats. Recent research suggests that bad fats (trans fats) from junk food tends to replace healthy fats in the brain and interferes with its normal signalling mechanism.
It increases the risk of heart disease.
Junk food items are loaded with saturated fats and trans fats that directly increase triglyceride and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood, contributing to plaque formation and heart disease. This causes a sudden increase in blood sugar level. Junk food damages the linings of the blood vessels causing chronic inflammation. This inflammation causes bad cholesterol to stick to the walls of the arteries, blocking blood flow to the heart. When they’re blocked enough, heart attack occurs. Fats from junk food can accumulate over a period of time in your body to make you obese.
-It can cause kidney disease
The reason why you can never say no to fries and chips is because they contain high amount of finely processed salt which increases salivation and secretion of enzymes that enhance your urge for these foods. High amount of bad fats and sodium from salt disrupts the sodium-potassium balance of the body and causes hypertension. Since the kidney have to filter all the toxins from the blood, eating a lot of junk food has a direct effect on the kidney functioning.
It can also damage your liver. Surprisingly, junk food consumption over a period of time can have similar harmful effect on the liver as alcohol consumptions does. A study reported that people who ate junk food and shunned exercise showed changes in liver enzymes within four weeks. These changes were similar to those observed in people with alcohol abuse. According to some studies, it’s the high level of trans fats found in a number of junk food which cause liver disfunction due to deposition in the liver.
-It increases your risk of cancer
Lack of fibre is the main reason why junk food consumption is linked to an increased risk of cancers of the digestive system. A study published in European Journals of Cancer Prevention revealed that consuming too much of fast food that are high in sugar and fat can increase your chances of developing colorectal cancer. Another study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, showed that men who ate fried foods more than twice in a month had increased risk of developing prostate cancer!
Today, junk food business are dominating the food industry to a great extent, but all at the cost of health and well-being of millions of consumers. Now take a look at how these Junk food affects our health.
-It can trigger digestive problems
Those who are addicted to fatty junk food are bound to suffer from digestive problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That’s because junk food is deep fried. The oil soaked in junk food gets deposited on the walls of the stomach lining, increases acid production. Spices loaded in them irritate the stomach lining, worsening GERD and digestion. Lack of fibre in them hampers digestion, increasing problems like constipation and haemorrhoids.
-It causes fatigue and weakness
It lacks most essential nutrients like proteins and vitamins required for maintenance of overall health and functioning of all the systems in your body. Although it makes you feel full and satisfied, it fails to provide you with instant energy, making you feel weak and tired after a while. If you eat junk food items for all your meals of the day over a period of time, you could suffer from chronic fatigue.
-Causes depression among teenagers
A lot of hormonal changes occur in teenagers, which makes them susceptible to mood swings and behavioural changes. And a healthy diet plays an important role in maintaining that hormonal balance. Because junk food lack those essential nutrients, the likelihood of teenagers to suffer from depression is increased by 58%.
-It causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels
They are high in refined sugar which exerts stress on your metabolism. Refined sugar causes the pancreas to secrete more amount of insulin in order to prevent a drastic spike in your blood sugar levels. Because junk food lacks sufficient levels of good carbohydrates and proteins, the levels of blood sugar drop suddenly after you eat.
-It affects the brain function
A study shows that one week of eating junk food is enough to trigger memory impairment in rats. Recent research suggests that bad fats (trans fats) from junk food tends to replace healthy fats in the brain and interferes with its normal signalling mechanism.
It increases the risk of heart disease.
Junk food items are loaded with saturated fats and trans fats that directly increase triglyceride and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood, contributing to plaque formation and heart disease. This causes a sudden increase in blood sugar level. Junk food damages the linings of the blood vessels causing chronic inflammation. This inflammation causes bad cholesterol to stick to the walls of the arteries, blocking blood flow to the heart. When they’re blocked enough, heart attack occurs. Fats from junk food can accumulate over a period of time in your body to make you obese.
-It can cause kidney disease
The reason why you can never say no to fries and chips is because they contain high amount of finely processed salt which increases salivation and secretion of enzymes that enhance your urge for these foods. High amount of bad fats and sodium from salt disrupts the sodium-potassium balance of the body and causes hypertension. Since the kidney have to filter all the toxins from the blood, eating a lot of junk food has a direct effect on the kidney functioning.
It can also damage your liver. Surprisingly, junk food consumption over a period of time can have similar harmful effect on the liver as alcohol consumptions does. A study reported that people who ate junk food and shunned exercise showed changes in liver enzymes within four weeks. These changes were similar to those observed in people with alcohol abuse. According to some studies, it’s the high level of trans fats found in a number of junk food which cause liver disfunction due to deposition in the liver.
-It increases your risk of cancer
Lack of fibre is the main reason why junk food consumption is linked to an increased risk of cancers of the digestive system. A study published in European Journals of Cancer Prevention revealed that consuming too much of fast food that are high in sugar and fat can increase your chances of developing colorectal cancer. Another study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, showed that men who ate fried foods more than twice in a month had increased risk of developing prostate cancer!
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