Side Effects Of Junk Food

The dark side of junk foods is not an unknown fact. Several research studies have shown that fast foods and processed foods have increased childhood obesity, heart disease anddiabetesand other chronic diseases. Fast food isn’t necessarily bad, but in many cases it’s highly processed and contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt (sodium). These foods are often high in calories yet offer little or no nutritional value.

Fast food has become a way of life for many busy persons seeking a fast and inexpensive alternative to cooking at home.The more junk food you consume, the less likely you are to consume the essential nutrients that your body relies on. Not only are those foods extremely unhealthy, they also impacts various aspects of your life. Here’s how:

It causes type 2 diabetes:

Added sugars have no nutritional value but are high in calories.When you eat a healthy diet, your body gets a steady supply of glucose, which helps maintain insulin sensitivity. When you eat junk food, it increases the stress on your body’s metabolism which ultimately affects the ability of your body to produce insulin and leads to diabetes.

Causes depression among teenagers:

A lot of hormonal changes occur in teenagers, which makes them susceptible to mood swings and behavioural changes.It has been found that eating junk food is the major cause of depression among present day teenagers. Certain foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants to the body and hence are a direct cause of stress like caffeine, Saturated fats, Processed foods, preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers and flavor-enhancers.A lot of studies have shown that eating foods high in sugar and fat actually changes the chemical activity of the brain making it more dependent on such foods.

It can trigger digestive problems:

Many fast foods and drinks are loaded with carbohydrates and, consequently, a lot of calories. Your digestive system breaks carbs down into sugar (glucose), which it then releases into your bloodstream.When everything is working in sync, blood sugar levels stay within a normal range. When you take in high amounts of carbs, it causes a spike in your blood sugar.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. Continues use of fast food may cause loss appetite, abnormal digestion and sometime food poisoning. Over consumption of junk food may displace these with trans fats which are harder to digest.

It affects the brain function:

A junk food diet could also affect your brain’s synapses and the molecules related to memory and learning, according to a study published in the journalNature. This probably stems from the fact that a poor or toxic diet can cause certain chemical reactions that lead to inflammation in the hippocampus area of the brain which is associated with memory and special recognition. 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. the brain contains synapses which are responsible for learning and memory. Eating too many calories can interfere with the healthy production and functioning of these synapses.

Risk Of Heart Disease:

People who eat fast-food four or more times a week, up their risk of dying from heart disease by 80 percent. According to the Prevention Institute, experts blame junk food for rising rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. 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. Those fats can clog the arteries and, over time, contribute to high cholesterol levels. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are among the top risk factors for heart disease and stroke.