Junk Food
Junk food is a food which
comprises less nutritional values and high amount of calories. For years, junk
foods have fascinated people by their attractive colors and savored the taste
buds. With their ideal array of flavor and varieties, junk foods are appealing
to the young and old alike. Conversely, these foods filled with zero
nutritional value and empty calories offer various challenges in terms of
health benefits.
The term “junk food” was first
invented by the director of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest,
Michael Jacobson in the year 1972. He was commended for revealing the harmful effects
associated with junk food with its use of additives such as salt, trans-fat and
food colors. He intended to enhance awareness among people regarding Junk food,
which often leads to various life-threatening diseases.
Junk foods are frequently
reported to cause a wide range of health problems. Ingredients of junk foods
that are artificial and contain high fat or sugar are not meant to be eaten
consistently. These ingredients can also be addicting for many consumers and
can cause withdrawal impacts if the patient attempts to stop ingesting these
foods. Consuming junk food containing these ingredients on regular basis can
lead to certain health problems including:
Weight gain: Fast Food is renowned for its plentiful use of oil,
butter, cheese and additional fatty constituents. With the increased uptake of
pizzas and burgers obesity has become a severe issue seen amongst people
nowadays.
Pizza with Extra Cheese Topping
Pizza with Extra Cheese Topping
Most junk foods contain high
levels of fats and carbohydrates but are low in fiber and other nutrients, which
provide your body with vitamins and minerals. This means you do not eat
adequate components to keep you healthy and switch to piling up many added
calories in your fat deposits. Attaining extra weight can not only destroy your
looks, but it can threaten your life. Certain people eat more than what is
worthy for them in the form of junk food, which causes unnecessary weight and
numerous health problems. This also enhances the hazard of having a stroke or
developing heart diseases.
Liver damage: Liver damage is a
substantial risk related with consuming fast food, although it is not commonly
discoursed. Junk food often includes trans-fat, a synthetic fat that is used as
a preservative so that junk foods can stay for long periods of time before they
are consumed. As the body works to eliminate this fat from our system it can
accumulate in the liver and causes impairment. This is very analogous to the
damage which is caused by the regular consumption of alcohol. If this is kept
unchecked, it can cause liver failure.
Cardiovascular diseases: Junk food mostly contains high sodium
content. High sodium uptake increase blood pressure as well as badly effects
the functioning of kidneys. High blood pressure is a primary cause of heart
attack, heart failure, kidney disease, stroke and other ailments. Recent
researches encourage us to ingest less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day
which is equal to about a teaspoon of table salt.
Burger, Soda & Fries with
High Sodium Content
Burger, Soda & Fries with
High Sodium Content
Regular consumption of fast food
that is high in cholesterol and sodium can cause harm to the cardiovascular
system. Cholesterol may enhance the risk of having a stroke or heart attack by
blocking the arteries. Increased levels of sodium found in burgers, pizzas,
sodas, supplemented meat products or fries will elevate your blood pressure,
which can also intensify the risk of stroke or heart attack with the passage of
time. As your cardiovascular system becomes less efficient it can be
challenging to perform certain physical tasks that will let you to sustain your
health.
