Why does processed food make me sick

What Is Processed Food? February, November, As we June, March, Snack foods, such as cookies and chips, have a high amount of calories, but very little nutrition.

In addition to reaching for unhealthy foods, skipping meals will also lead to a huge drop in energy, as your body requires a certain amount of calories to function properly. If we eat the wrong foods, it can cause a spike in blood pressure, which can lead to other problems like heart disease or stroke.

Eating certain foods, like meat and dairy products, can clog our arteries and send our blood pressure soaring. You can also get high blood pressure from eating too much salt, sugar, or highly processed foods. Make sure to keep your diet fairly alkaline, meaning you eat lots of fresh fruits, veggies and starches in order to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. But the general perception that gluttony and laziness are the whole explanation is not solidly supported by the science.

Several researchers have wondered if other factors in our environment, such as sleep habits or indoor temperatures, are playing a greater role than we think.

Now ultra-processed food is being considered as another possible force behind these trends. They created what was called the NOVA classification system, which groups food into four categories:.

Studies from Brazil showed that people who consumed up to half of their energy intake in the form of ultra-processed food were more likely to be obese. More recently, studies from other countries, including Spain , Sweden and a comparison of European countries , have also come to the same conclusion.

If it is true that highly processed foods harm health, it could undeniably explain a lot of things. This trend can also be seen in different types of foods. For example, eating whole grains is associated with a lower risk of disease. But consuming processed grain products is associated with the opposite trend. A Norwegian study of fish consumption also shows a similar tendency: Eating whole fish seems to be associated with less disease, while consuming processed fish products such as fish balls, fish sticks and fish cakes is linked to health problems.

One of the problems with this type of information, however, is that a link between two phenomena does not say anything about causation. It may be, for example, that people who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods also exercise less or live a more harmful lifestyle.

Most of the fiber has been taken out and the ingredients are refined, isolated nutrients that don't resemble the whole foods they came from. One consequence of this is that it takes less energy to eat and digest processed foods. We can eat more of them in a shorter amount of time more calories in and we also burn less energy fewer calories out digesting them than we would if they were unprocessed, whole foods.

One study in 17 healthy men and women compared the difference in energy expenditure after consuming a processed vs a whole foods-based meal They ate a sandwich, either with multi-grain bread and cheddar cheese whole foods or with white bread and processed cheese processed foods.

According to this study, people who eat processed food will cut their TEF in half, effectively reducing the amount of calories they burn throughout the day. Bottom Line: We only burn half as many calories digesting and metabolizing processed foods compared to whole foods. They usually contain cheap fats, refined seed- and vegetable oils like soybean oil that are often hydrogenated… which turns them into trans fats.

Vegetable oils are extremely unhealthy and most people are eating way too much of them already. These fats contain excessive amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids , which can drive oxidation and inflammation in the body 22 , Several studies show that when people eat more of these oils, they have a significantly increased risk of heart disease, which is the most common cause of death in Western countries today 24 , 25 , If the fats are hydrogenated, that makes them even worse.

Hydrogenated trans fats are among the nastiest, unhealthiest substances you can put into your body The best way to avoid seed oils and trans fats is to avoid processed foods.

Eat real fats like butter, coconut oil and olive oil instead. When we replace real, traditional foods like butter, meat and vegetables with crappy, processed junk foods, we get fat and sick. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.

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