So what is the big deal? We hear everywhere that it is bad to eat processed food, but do we actually know why?
There are so many things that have become ingrained in American culture and go unquestioned. We tend to just take it as is because we hear it from the media without ever really doing any research for ourselves. My hope is to shed some light on what exactly is “Bad” about eating processed food.
> Dr. David Katz, the Founding Director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, concluded that after looking at all of the trending diets, that “ A diet of minimally processed foods close to nature, predominantly plants, is decisively associated with health promotion and disease prevention.”
So we know that it is bad for us, but again what exactly? Here are a few reasons (which should be more than enough) as to why processed food is bad.
#1 Sugar or High Fructose Corn Syrup
Processed food will typically have high amounts of sugar or high fructose corn syrup in them. There is plenty of research to back up the devastating effects of sugar on the body. Consuming high amounts of sugar can lead to insulin resistance, obesity, increased levels of harmful cholesterol, high triglycerides, increased abdominal obesity, fat accumulation around the liver, increased plaque build-up in blood vessels. Increased sugar consumption is strongly associated with heart disease, obesity, and cancer. The list goes on and on and on…hopefully you get the point. If not, I suggest checking out the award winning documentary “Fed Up“.
#2 Overconsumption
Eating processed food is very rewarding to our brains. There is a reason why fast food companies spend so much money on making the food more desirable to our senses and taste buds. Research suggests that “excessive consumption of food or drugs of abuse induces similar neuroadaptive responses in brain reward circuitries."
Even when our nutrient needs are met, our brains will bypass any warning signals and continue to crave the salt, and sugar because it is addictive. Processed foods are so rewarding to our brains that no wonder over consumption is typical. These foods are engineered to be hyper-rewarding, leading to over-consumption.
#3 Low in Essential Nutrients
Processed foods are low in nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Don’t be fooled by the synthetic nutrients that are found in processed food. The synthetic nutrients are added in order to make up for the loss of nutrients during the processing methods used to create the food. It does NOT substitute as a good replacement for whole foods. Whole foods are nutrient dense while processed foods are energy rich. Processed foods contain more crap that your body does not need.
#4 Low In Fiber
Processed foods are typically low in fiber, especially soluble fiber. What does that mean? This is fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your intestine. It acts like a prebiotic, altering the metabolism, of the gut microbiota in a very beneficial manner. Fiber can also slow down the absorption of carbs and keep us satiated, feeling fuller longer.
#5 High In Trans Fats
They will usually contain vegetable oils that are hydrogenated, turning them into trans fat. Trans fats have been shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease and increasing your Low-Density Lipoprotein levels(LDL aka bad cholesterol). The best way to avoid this is to just eat real food. Did you know that one of the leading causes of death in the world is heart disease?
Hope you enjoyed this! Till next time.
