You guys witness that in these lockdown days we have increased the intake of junk food items. Burgers, roll, BBQ items, grilled, fried items have been so famous these days. And we have been taking these items as our breakfast lunch dinner and late In night cravings which results in bad lifestyle and unhealthy diet. Which can also give an environment to multiple diseases if already involved in any or can make our immunity down. It is consumed in high amounts globally. We can have it everywhere we go.
Junk food is an unhealthy processed or manufactured food item that is high in sugar and fat. It refers to the foods which are high in calories. The value of these food items is nutritionally low. Saturated fats, High salts, artificial sugar, and kilojoules of calories are added while processing these items. Consumption of junk foods increases fat accumulation in our body tissues, which leads to unhealthy living. As we know obesity is the gateway to many diseases. It is one of the most common causes of kidney diseases, heart diseases, and brain health. Obesity gives rise to causes that may lead to many serious illnesses like fat accumulation clog up Arteries, veins, and vessels which lead to A heart attack or stroke.
The Intake of junk food is just like the intake of drugs. People get addicted to a food item without even knowing what it can cause inside. Addiction to junk food keeps you away from healthy food items which result in the rejection of nutrients entering into the body. Junk Food affects the brain as it affects other body systems.
Common Junk food items:
Junk food is available all over the world. It is the most common category of food people nowadays are consuming. Junk foods are company manufactured food either in plastic or can. Generally, unhealthy food items are considered as junk foods. Not all foods are junk food but most of them are. A list of some junk food items are:-
- Processed food
- Sugary drinks
- Flavored pizza
- Artificial fruit juices
- Fried items like french fries, potato chips
- White bread
- Sweetened breakfast cereals
- Grilled or broiled food
- Baked items like Cakes, muffins, pastries, and cookies
- Canned food
- Gluten-free products
- Low-fat yogurt
- Processed meat
- Soda and carbonated drinks
- Candy bars
- Processed cheese
- High-calorie coffee
- Items with added sugar
- High processed foods
- Low-carb junk foods
Avoidance of certain food items can prevent you from developing any chronic disease or putting on weight. For a healthy balanced life, you should have a diet without these items.
What effect does junk food products on the body?
Junk food is now available all over the world. In every grocery store, fast-food restaurants, and stores. Food is considered as the fuel of the body and consuming such poor Nutritional food items impact your body health, lifestyle, and performance. Eating a low-quality diet is linked to developing a high risk of fat accumulation, obesity, diabetes, heart disorders, kidney disorders, Depression, digestive issues, cancer, stroke, and early death. Multiple studies are done on health and fast food which indicates that junk food increases the risk of heart diseases and weight gain. Junk food increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. In severity, it can cause death due to coronary heart disease by having access to junk food.
Sometimes intaking less amount of junk food produces short term effects. It depends on the choice of food the person consumes. Few days or one or two times in a month, consumption of junk food could change your body mechanism but do not produce long term damage. Studies have shown that if people eat junk food for 5 continuous days then their ability of muscles to produce energy is reduced. If it is continued to Long term then it will lead to type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance.
One junk food meal leads to high blood pressure and further in the narrowing of arteries. Not just this but due to artificial sugars that cause a surge in insulin. Due to the lack of nutrients and a low level of energy production can make the person feels sleepy, tired, and hungry. Junk food can also cause inflammation inside the body. An Australian study describes that people who have asthma if consume fast food for a long time, cause high inflammation in their airway due to increased amounts of saturated fat. It increases the chances of an asthma attack. However, an occasional junk food meal won’t hurt. But a habit of continuously eating junk food for a long period can be lethal.
Such foods also dull the sensory response. That is the reason we can easily eat a bag full of fried potato chips or a regular can of a soda drink or energy drink. These foods taste good but in the next, they harm our body from inside. Consumption of these food items never satisfies a normal person’s hunger. In last it will make him want more and more. Some people experience heartburn, acid reflux, digestion issues, or acidity after intaking such foods. Additionally, consumption of high amounts of fast food items can lead to constant pain in the upper abdomen and indigestion.
Not only digestion but having low fiber and high fatty and caloric foods risk the person on poor sleeping and disturb the pattern.
Facts about the impact of junk food:
According to studies and an analysis of data, it is explained that People spent a major amount of their income on junk food. Drive-thru or eating at a restaurant is now more common than having a healthy meal at home. And most people admit this. According to another analysis of data by Food’s Institute from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, explains that millennials spend 45% of their total money on eating out.
After doing a comparison to 40 years, an average family in 2019 spends half of there budget on eating food in restaurants. However, 40 years back only 38% of a family’s food budget was spent on eating outside in a restaurant.
If you want to enjoy having junk food then you should be concerned about your health and budget. Occasionally, this food won’t hurt but generally, it will. But if you are concerned then first you have to look overall at your healthy and unhealthy habits which will affect your health status by having junk food. Do you smoke? Do you consume alcohol? Do you exercise regularly? Do you eat foods filled with nutrients like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes? When it comes to your health concern, we almost negotiate these important questions.
Sometimes occasional junk food gives immediate effects in the body systems when you are following a diet or healthy lifestyle. Food Institute gives the ratio of healthy foods to junk food that is “80:20”. So think before consuming any junk food that do you fit in this ratio or need some improvement.
In your lifestyle eating junk food makes your choice of having one healthy meal per day full of nutritious items. This choice works for decreasing the inflammation, stress, and depression in the body. Every healthy meal is an opportunity to make your internal organs fresh and active and boosting immunity.
Sugar, Fat, and sodium in junk food:
Fast foods are high in artificial sugars and salt and fat. These elements lead to obesity and laziness which gives rise to multiple diseases as mentioned above. All about greater than 80 million adults globally are obese and this category increasing day by day. Not just adults but children also. And the first reason behind this is the accumulation of fat by consuming junk food.
Almost all fast food meals which are considered junk food have added sugars in them. Not only artificial sugar but artificial sweetener and artificial colors that make them low in nutritional value and high in calories. According to AHA (American Heart Association), a normal adult person should eat six to nine teaspoons of sugar that make about 100 to 150 calories per day.
Energy drinks, soda, fast food drinks contain 8 teaspoons of artificial sugar about 140 calories per 12-ounce. Having junk food high in sugar can increase the risk of diabetes to 27% if you consume junk food more than 2 times a week. Because eating high carb food increases the blood sugar level.
The clinical diagnosis given by the American Medical Association states that consuming high white flour food items such as bun, cake, burger, sandwich, muffins, etc gives high amounts of white sugar to the body. Frequent and long time intake of these foods leads to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Reactive hypoglycemia is a condition that indicates that your diet is overloaded with sugar. It happens with people after 4 hours of eating junk food or an unhealthy diet.
80% of type 2 diabetes can be prevented by the intake of a healthy diet. Not just diet but also the right amount of exercise and quitting smoking and alcohol.
The type of fat produced while manufacturing a processed item or junk food is known as trans-fat. It is found in common items like
- Fried meat like chicken, mutton, beef, fish fillets.
- Pizza dough
Trans-fat is unhealthy and not good in any amount. Eating foods that contain Trans-fat increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) and lowers the good cholesterol (HDL). It increases the risk of heart diseases and can lead to atherosclerosis. High-density Trans-fatty acids not only increase cholesterol but also abdominal obesity and excessive weight gain.
Fast foods like in saturated fat not only negatively impact the heart but also impacts the brain and cause dysfunction and loss of memory. It just not impair memory but also the flexibility and ability to recall anything. Due to high-fat content plaque buildup in the artery, it prevents the blood flow to multiple organs.
Junk food is made tastier by adding a combination of salts, sugar, and fat. But on the other side of these elements increase health risk. Food high in sodium leads to water retention. It makes you feel bloated, puffy, and swollen. This type of food is risky for patients with blood pressure. Sodium increases blood pressure and puts pressure and stress on the heart. 90% of people underestimate the amount of sodium in junk foods. This survey shows that adult guesses were lower than than the estimated amount used. The recommended amount of sodium intake by the American Heart Association per day is 1500 mg and should not consume more than 2300 mg. And a single junk food meal has an excess of this amount. Sodium additives which are combined in a meal as preservatives or flavoring are:
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Sodium nitrite
- Sodium saccharin
- Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate
- Sodium benzoate.
These sodium additives are used to maintain the color of junk food meat and also for the cause of preservatives to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Sodium also contributes to kidney diseases and enlargement of the heart. Excess sodium increases the risk of cirrhosis, kidney stones, and congestive heart failure (CHF).
BEFORE YOU GO! HAVE A LOOK OVER HERE.
Junk food not only causes chronic diseases but also lifetime obesity and death in severity. Above mentioned are the facts but shocking truths of junk foods and these highlights your choice of picking up balance healthy diet. Fast food must be cheap for you but its effects and treatment are way more expensive. And above all, it threatens a priceless life. These foods offer high levels of fat, cholesterol, sugar, sodium, and many more unhealthy items. These items are little in healthy nutrients and day by day replacing nutritious foods. And the outcomes are bad to health status.
General FAQs About Junk Food
Can junk food make you feel lethargic?
Yes, fast foods like a burger, fries, pizza, and baked items are high in fat and calories which can make a person feel full for a time and then feeling empty and lethargic after some time.
Does junk food produces skin problems?
Eating fried oily items, sugars, white flour can be blamed for skin issues like acne, pimple, puffiness, and bloated.
Can junk food cause constipation?
Junk foods are low in dietary fiber which plays an important role in the digestive system. Fiber helps keep the digestive tract working properly and lowers cholesterol and blood sugar normal. But unfortunately, junk food contains low fiber which gives rise to such digestive tract problems like constipation and impairs the intestinal functions.
Why people starve after having junk food?
Junk food has low nutritional value and high calories which makes a person starve after some time of eating. Too calories and fat make the person tired, sleepy, weak, and starving. Lack of nutrients makes your body function improperly. The Human body needs food that provides nourishment but unfortunately, junk food doesn’t satisfy our body.
Does teeth decay happen with junk food?
fast food, desserts, soda intake declines oral health. The enamel is destroyed by drinking such drinks. This increases the amount of acid in the mouth that causes tooth decay.
Why junk food causes anxiety?
Due to the lack of omega-3 fatty acids, junk foods create an anxious mental state. It causes depression, anxiety, and make a person worry. It is also because such foods lead to high blood sugar that converts into the hypoglycemic state which triggers confusion, fatigue, anxiety.
Which type of cancers are developed by junk food?
Colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer can be developed by junk food because the meat of a junk item is heated on a certain temperature which causes cancer. It is sometimes due to sodium nitrite in fast food items. All these ingredients and additives combine and after heating their chemical breakdown can cause cancer.
A student of RESPIRATORY THERAPY from Dow University of Health Sciences. She tries to sum up most of the informative content about health diseases. Most commonly highlighting Cardio-Pulmonary illnesses. Providing indications & contraindications for various diseases and aims to empower not only medical students but common people.