Processed Foods: 6 Alarming Ways Consuming Processed Foods Can Harm You

Processed and packaged foods are surrounding us everywhere nowadays. Being short of time, one is always looking for quick and ready-to-eat foods. Dear family man/woman, are you sure what you're feeding your child is good for them. Well, you can't be. But, you can be a little more sure about nutritional value of a food, if you can ascertain that it isn't chemically processed. Processed foods are one of the biggest reasons for obesity and a major contributor to a wide variety of health problems around the globe. Processed foods are those foods that have been processed using chemical processes. In this process, the nutritional value of certain food items is lost.

Also read: These Ultraprocessed Foods Can Increase Risk Of Early Death; Stay Away!

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Processed food: 6 health hazards of eating processed and packaged food regularly

1. Exponential weight gain: 

It is completely natural to look for the tasty and aromatic food from the bunch. Salty, fatty and sweet food top this list, and we are often gravitated towards them. Food processors, manufacturers and marketers have been able to successfully use this to their advantage. Foods are chemically manipulated to make them more desirable to you. Consumers often end up addicted to these food items. You can thereafter end up eating way too much, more than you want, causing serious weight gain.

2. Blood sugar imbalance: 

Processed foods have a truckload of added sugar usually. Both sugar or high fructose syrups , when consumed in excess, can cause serious health complications, starting with abnormally high blood sugar levels. These empty calories can reduce your body's sensitivity to insulin, causing a feeble response to sugar. In the long run, this is likely to result in diabetes, obesity and even heart problems.

Also read: Top 6 Processed Foods You Should Definitely Avoid

3. Made from unknown chemicals: 

Before your next binge, have a look at the labels of the packets of these goods. its out best bet that you would not be able to identify a lot of the substances that go into your food. They are probably not food items at all, but taste enhancers, flavour augmenters, preservatives and other chemicals, whose effects can be detrimental to no calculable limit. So, beware of the products you are consuming.

4. Low on nutrients: 

Processes in food manufacturing are well known for not only adding components like sugar and fat, that are bad for you in high quantities, but also reduce the nutritional values of foods that are naturally nutrient rich. Unprocessed food's minerals, vitamins and other naturally occurring nutrients are quashed to no avail and to a level where you're just consuming empty calories.

Processed food contains empty calories with zero nutritional value
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: When Chemicals Are Used To Scare You About Food

5. Digestive problems:

The fibre content in processed foods is often much lower than desired. Fibre is most important for your body when it comes to contributing to the friendly bacteria in the intestines. It is also important for the feeling of satiation and absorption of carbohydrates. This is why it is often missing in processed foods, as the manufacturer wants you to maximise your consumption.

6. Other harmful aspects: 

There are numerous other negative when it comes to processed foods as well. For one, they are high on trans fats, cholesterol and refined carbohydrates. Cholesterol is extremely bad for your heart and cause serious illnesses in the long run. Refined carbohydrates can cause instant blood sugar spikes. Finally, trans fat can cause high inflammation in your body.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.