Chemically Processed Foods We Eat

Without consideration people eat chemically processed foods every day, they are a big part of human nutrition in today’s world. However, this type of processed foods has been shown to be even worse for our bodies than that can be understood without proper research. Recent studies have been conducted to bring to light the real dangers of processed foods due to their repercussion of bad health and development. These studies examine how they contain many detrimental ingredients, engineered for overconsumption, and highly addictive.

According to Everyday Health, the term processed foods translates as any food that was changed prior to consumption. This means anything from canned goods, to French fries from a fast food chain.

There are two types of processed foods, mechanical and chemical. A couple of chemicals that are added to processed foods include Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Monosodium glutamate. BH is a chemical deemed safe by the FDA but has been known to be a cancer-causing preservative. Its job is to keep foods from spoiling over a long period of time.

Get quality help now

WriterBelle

Verified writer

Proficient in: Processed Foods

4.7 (657)

“ Really polite, and a great writer! Task done as described and better, responded to all my questions promptly too! ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

MSG is what is considered a “flavor enhancer” and is thought to because of some serious brain chemistry issues. Overall, what makes these processed foods unhealthy is the high sugar/corn syrup, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates. They are also low in fiber and nutrients. Processed foods are sold everywhere, from grocery stores to fast food restaurants.

They look good and taste good. They can be found in boxes, cans, bags, packed frozen and just about anywhere else.

Many of these packages will be left in grocery stores for multiple days because they are filled with chemicals that keep them preserved. It is hard to deny a delicious box of chips or cookies. These products are usually much cheaper than any other healthy alternative, which forces people to see the more desirable. Chemically processed foods are filled with a lot of unnatural sugars, known as added sugars. These added sugars can also be made into high fructose corn syrup. Medical News Today also explains how added sugars go further than just a calorie count but can have devastating effects on your metabolism.

The metabolisms main job is to convert food into energy. Another chemical used is any processed food is artificial ingredients. These are ingredients added that are not actually food but instead added chemicals that are added for different purposes such as color, flavor, preservatives, and texture which can make it unsafe to eat. Lastly, these foods are often high in what is called refined carbohydrates, which just means they process carbs and add them to foods that already have carbs to add flavor. This can lead to high blood pressure levels which are bad for your heart. In the long run, after eating a lot of these over the majority of a lifetime it's more likely that anyone can prone to obesity, cancers, and heart disease.

According to a Fast Food Industry Analysis, fast food chains are a booming industry in America that earns an average revenue of $200 billion a year. To put that into scarier terms, the average American will spend more than $1,200 on fast food a year. That is roughly 430 Happy Meals from McDonald's. While this sounds delicious, this yummy meal is terrible for your body. Fast food is not the only culprit in this case, any average grocery stores you go it is full of processed foods, it is not only about the fried foods, lunch snacks like little cakes and just most of what you eat every day is processed. What many people do not know is that foods sold in these restaurants and stores are designed to make you eat more and more. For these manufacturers they want people to buy their product as much as possible, so they add unhealthy adaptive to make it taste good.

Not only are they doing this but making processed foods is considered much cheaper in the long run than providing fresh, clean food. Therefore, buying something like a packaged meal is much cheaper than buying fresh salmon from a market. Because of this many people are drawn to buy the cheaper product that might taste better because of all the added flavor and sodium. Lastly, chemically processed foods have been shown to be incredibly addictive. This is because the reward system in our brain is directly linked to eating good foods. Some people can get out of control with their eating habits. This is when eating processed food really gets dangerous and causes obesity. In fact, processed foods are to blame for the spike in obesity levels and chronic disease around the world. What happens is, the brain is hijacked by an intense release of dopamine that makes us feel good after we eat.

The best food we can put in our body is called whole or fresh foods. Whole foods are food that has been processed as little as possible and is free from all other additives. Whole foods are good for you because you are getting them in its natural state. With this you can obtain all the vitamins, minerals and fibers are that are in foods without the unhealthy chemicals blocking them out. Eating whole foods like fresh vegetables, fruit, grains, and meats can reduce anyone's risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as type 2 diabetes. Chemically processed foods are a large part of the average person's diet and many people are not aware of the health consequences that come with these foods but there is nothing being done about this because of the economic element. In many studies, it has been shown to be one of the worst foods we can eat.