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*** This Article is Written by Sneha Mukkavilli.
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What are Processed Foods?
Processed foods are foods that have been altered in some way during preparation. Most foods we eat are processed, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them are bad. For example, milk is pasteurized, meaning that it is processed, however doing this is essential to it being safe to consume.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of processed foods have additives and preservatives that increase their shelf life and make them more palatable. Examples of these kinds of foods include chips, cool drinks, breakfast cereals and packaged breads.
Why are Processed Foods So Popular?
- Cheap: Processed food is usually much cheaper than fresh, whole foods. Healthy food costs around 3 times more than processed food, making it extremely appealing to buy.
- Taste: The high content of sugar and sodium in packaged and processed foods make them extremely tasty and addictive.
- Easy to Buy: Processed and packaged foods are relatively easy to just take on the go, especially for people who are always in a rush or work many hours a week.
- Marketing: Each year, the fast food industry spends billions of dollars just on advertising specifically aimed at youth. They misuse words on packaging such as “healthy”, “low in calories”, “low in fat” which gives an impression that the food is more nutritious.
Why do Manufacturers Use Sugar?
- Bulking Agent: Sugar increases the mass of the food taken, making it look larger and therefore more filling. It also impact the texture and feel of the food.
- Preservative: Sugar increases the shelf life of foods, helping to slow the growth of bacteria and yeast.
- Flavor Enhancer: Adding sugar helps balance out flavors in food; for example, sugar helps make really sour foods taste more sweet and cuts down the sour taste.
- Color: When heated, sugar reacts with certain proteins and gives food an appetizing and desirable color.
Why is Sugar So Tasty?
Humans are ingrained to get quick energy in case of situations where food is not immediately available. When we eat food with sugar, the taste receptors in our mouth and stomach send signals to the brain through nerves. The blood sugar rises at the same time which the brain also senses. This stimulates the reward system in the brain which triggers the release of “feel good hormones” such as dopamine and serotonin. The release of these hormones makes us feel satisfied, but after these feelings subside we crave more of it, thus eating more sugary foods. This starts a cycle of addiction which is hard to break.
[ Read: How to Control Sugar Cravings? ]
Manufacturers usually take advantage of this and put large quantities of sugar in their food. The consumption of the sugary food leads to the cycle explained above which gets you hooked on to the food. Naturally, more of the food is bought and consumed, which increases profits for manufacturers.
Long Term Consequences of Consuming Sugar
1. Tooth Decay:
Consuming sugar feeds the bacteria which naturally live in the mouth where they multiply and start producing acid. The acid starts burning away the outer layer of the teeth, causing cavities, holes and tooth decay.
2. Acne:
Sugar consumption increases sebum (oil produced naturally by the skin which keeps the skin moisturized) which contributes to mild to severe acne.
3. Weight Gain:
Consumption of sugar affects the hormones produced by the body which control a person’s weight such as leptin. Leptin is a hormone which tells the brain that you are full. Consumption of sugar over a long period of time may cause the brain to become resistant to leptin, leading to overeating and therefore weight gain and obesity.
[ Read: Top 11 Yoga Poses for Weight Loss at Home ]
4. Diabetes:
Eating sugary foods causes a spike in blood sugar. To lower the blood sugar, the pancreas produces a hormone known as insulin which signals the liver to take in the extra sugar from the blood. Eating sugary foods frequently thereby causes the release of insulin frequently, leading to the liver becoming resistant to it, which causes Type 2 Diabetes.
5. High Blood Pressure:
Taking sugary foods over extended periods of time leads to weight gain, which in turn causes high blood pressure.
6. Cardiovascular Diseases:
Consumption of sugar leads to inflammation in the heart tissue and blood vessels which increases the chances of developing some form of heart disease. Also, eating sugary foods and drinking sugary beverages can lead to high levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) which can clog up blood vessels and decrease the oxygen supply to the heart.
7. Early Aging:
Long standing high sugar levels also damage collagen and can lead to an aged look and also damage he collagen in joints and rest of musculoskeletal system too.
A lot of times, it may be hard to tell whether a food has a lot of sugar content because the food itself doesn’t taste sweet. This is the reason why it is always important to check the nutrition labels on any food (not just ultra processed food) before purchasing.
Remember, consuming a processed food or cool drink once in a while is likely to do minimal harm. Focus on satisfying your hunger and fullness cues rather than choosing to eat the first thing that comes to your mind. Being in the present moment as you are eating can help you identify when you are full and be the healthiest version of you.
Works Cited:
- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/what-are-processed-foods/
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/392358-reasons-why-people-eat-junk-food-over-healthy-food/
- https://www.sugarnutritionresource.org/the-basics/functions-of-sugars-in-food
- https://thedaily.case.edu/why-do-we-love-sweets-understanding-the-science-of-sugary-foods/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/eating-too-much-sugar#how-to-eat-less-sugar
