Some of us are too busy to hit the kitchen that junk foods are the only thing we can lay our hands on. This is because they are easily accessible, and some of them are so cheap but the number of harm they do to our body is unlimited. There is nothing better than eating well-cooked homemade foods and fruits. Like we all know, fruits are very essential to the body. Most junk is enhanced with sugar which probably makes you want to eat more but before you buy the next one, read this blog post thoroughly.
Below are the reasons why you should never eat junk foods again:
1. Risk of cancer
The inadequate fibre in junk foods is the main reason why its consumption is linked to an increased risk of cancers of the digestive system. A research published in European Journal 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 research from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle proved that men who ate fried foods more than twice in a month had increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
2. Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
One of the major contributing factors for the increasing diabetes epidemic is the unhealthy diet full of junk and fast food. When you have a healthy diet, your body gets a balanced supply of glucose which helps maintain insulin sensitivity. Also, when you eat only junk food, the unwarranted excess stress put forth on your metabolism affects the ability of your body to use insulin properly. This is because junk food lacks fibre content and its consumption directly results in higher sugar levels. Junk food consumption also leads to obesity, which is one of the main reasons for insulin resistance and development of diabetes. See another 10 reasons why not to eat junk and fast foods like noodles. What do you know about diabetes? Read more here.
3. Risk of digestive problems
Those suffering from addiction to fatty junk food are certain to suffer from digestive problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The reason is that junk foods are deep fried. The oil soaked in junk food gets deposited on the walls of the stomach lining and increases acid production. Spices loaded in them irritate the stomach lining, worsening GERD and digestion. Lack of fibre in the fast food hinders digestion, increasing problems like constipation and haemorrhoids. See 8 foods to avoid in order to main a healthy digestive system.
4. Risk of kidney disease
One of the reasons why some people can never reject fries and chips is because they contain a high amount of finely processed salt which increases salivation and secretion of enzymes that boost your cravings for these foods. The high amount of fats and sodium from salt upsets the sodium-potassium balance of the body and causes hypertension. The kidney has to filter all the toxins from the blood, so eating a lot of junk food has a direct effect on the kidney.
5. Risk of heart disease
Junk food is packed 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. Also, it causes increased blood sugar level, and thus, damages the linings of the blood vessels causing chronic inflammation. This inflammation makes bad cholesterol stick to the walls of the arteries, blocking blood flow to the heart. When they’re blocked to a level, it results in heart attack. Fats from junk food can accumulate over a period of time in your body and leaves you with obesity. The more weight you put on, the higher your risk of suffering from heart attack. Do you know that Okra (Okro) water cures diabetes? Read more here.
6. Causes fatigue and weakness
Junk food does not contain essential nutrients like proteins and vitamins required for maintenance of the overall health and functioning of all the body systems. Although it makes you feel full and satisfied with instant energy, after some time, you feel weak and tired. If you eat junk food items for all your meals of the day over a period of time, you could suffer from chronic fatigue. Junk food can lower your energy levels to an extent that it may become difficult for you to even perform your usual daily tasks.
7. Causes depression among teenagers
A lot of hormonal changes related to mood swings and behavioural changes occur mostly in teenagers. A healthy diet plays an important role in maintaining that hormonal balance. Because junk foods lack these essential nutrients, the likelihood of teenagers to suffer from depression is highly increased by 58 percent. Here are some facts that depression and stress make you fat.
8. Causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels
It has been previously stated that junk food contains a high amount of refined sugar which exerts stress on your body metabolism. Refined sugar causes the pancreas to secrete a lot of insulin in order to prevent a drastic increase in your blood sugar levels. Because junk food lacks sufficient levels of good carbohydrates and proteins, the levels of blood sugar suddenly drop after you eat. This makes you feel irritable and further increases you craving for more junk food. Read the post about how Sweet Potato helps regulate blood sugar.
9. Affects the Brain
A research published in the journal, ‘Brain, Behaviour and Immunity’, shows that one week of eating junk food is enough to trigger memory impairment in rats. A recent study suggests that bad fats (trans fats) from junk food tends to replace healthy fats in the brain and interferes with its normal signalling mechanism. Studies in animals have also revealed that fats from junk food slow down the ability to learn new skills.
10. Damages your liver
Like alcohol consumption, junk food consumption over a period of time also has a similar harmful effect on the liver. A study showed that people who ate junk food and avoid physical exercises showed changes in liver enzymes within four weeks. These changes were similar to those observed in people with alcohol abuse. According to some other studies, high level of trans fats found in junk foods causes liver dysfunction due to deposition in the liver.
All the mentioned reasons are enough to make you rethink overindulgence in fast food and junk food. Stay healthy. Health is wealth.
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