Health Effects of Junk Food – Everything that is consumed too much is definitely not good for health, especially if it is related to junk food. Junk food is food that is made to get hungry and thirsty quickly. If consumed every day, you have made your body a trash can that holds a lot of bad things. One can of soft drinks contains 39 to 41 grams of sugar. So, every time you drink a can of soda, you put 7 to 10 spoons of sugar into the body.
Sugar is a dangerous substance if excessive in the body because it can cause bad effects on the body. Ok, on this occasion we will discuss the bad effects of junk food for the body if consumed in excess, read on this article until it’s finished.
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What is Junk Food?
What is junk food? Junk Foods are foods or drinks that are empty of nutritional value. On the other hand, junk food contains many substances that are harmful to the body, such as full of calories, sodium, sugar, saturated fat and trans fat.
That is why, foods rich in these ingredients must be limited. You can consume soft drinks, but once a week or twice a month. Don’t pay too much attention to junk food as this is your stake in destroying your own body.
What foods are considered Junk Food
Foods that are included in the type of junk food are very much. So, you have to know exactly the types so that you can stay away from them for your own good. Here’s a list of junk food that you should avoid.
- Soft drinks or sugary drinks, including juices, many sugar and energy drinks,
- Processed meats such as hot dogs, ham and bacon,
- Sweet snacks, usually desserts such as candy, chocolate, cookies and chewing gum,
- Fast food such as French fries, humbergers, fried chicken, tacos and pizza,
- Instant noodles,
- Chips,
- Ice cream,
- Other processed foods with high amounts of sugar, bad fats, and high salt,
Health effects of consuming excessive junk food
If you consume too much junk food, it can prevent your body from absorbing nutrients so that the body doesn’t function properly. If you really like junk food and consume it every day, then you can experience serious health problems later in the day.
Some of the serious disorders resulting from consuming too much junk food are:
1. Obesity
Obesity is a common problem worldwide. One of the factors that trigger obesity is consuming too much junk food. Junk Food is rich in sugar, calories, sodium, saturated and trans fats. While the amount of nutrients is very little or zero. Consuming too much junk food can lead to excessive weight gain. Even junk food is the cause of several serious diseases such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.
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2. Poor control of appetite and digestion problems
Research says that consuming excessive junk food can affect the brain, especially the part of the brain called the hypothalamus and this is responsible for appetite. Excess sugar can mess with your appetite, increasing your craving for excess food even when you’re full.
Just like junk food, fast food that you overeat. Fast food can cause poor digestion, this is because fast food is poor in fiber. Foods lacking in fiber cannot be digested properly by the body and this can lead to constipation and various other digestive problems.
3. Instant food can affect the brain and learning
A bad diet, such as consuming foods high in fat, high in sugar, can cause hippocampus problems, namely inflammation. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is responsible for learning, memory, emotions, and motivation.
If there is a problem with the hippocampus, it is memory impairment, learning problems, and it can increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Junk Food increases the risk of depression
Furthermore, the bad effect of consuming junk food is that it can increase the risk of depression and brain tension.
In a study in a paper at the Manchester Metropolitan’s Center for Bioscience, it was found that eating a high-cholesterol diet, such a diet rich in saturated fat, and carbohydrates can increase the risk of depression by up to 40%. This is because these foods cause inflammation in the brain.
5. Influencing growth and development
Junk food is empty of all the nutrients the body needs for the body to function properly. In fact, the effects of junk food can sometimes cause obstacles to children’s growth and development.
Children are especially at risk for this problem. So, keep children away from consuming too much junk food. It is the responsibility of parents to look after their children so that they can grow to their full potential.
Based on data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), that in the Philippines one in 3 children under the age of 5 experience growth not according to their age. Meanwhile, another 7% are very thin when compared to their height, and 1:10 teenagers in the Philippines are overweight. This is the result of nutritional deficiencies and other things.
A Healthier Choice than Junk Food
Ok, now we understand that eating too much Junk Food has a bad impact on health. For that, you must have other alternatives that are healthier and can replace Junk Food. Here are some food choices that are healthier for you.
- Fried or air dried vegetables, not french fries. You can roast carrots, or sweet potatoes, this can be an alternative when you crave for french fries. Consuming these vegetables, you can get better nutrition than eating french fries.
- Try consuming sparkling water instead of consuming sodas or other carbonated drinks. You can also make smoothies or fresh fruit juices without sugar. This can add a lot of nutrients than consuming carbonated drinks.
- For pizza lovers, you can consume pizza, but try to make it from home. Make your own pizza. You can control the ingredients you use in the pizza. Instead of just containing a slice of cheese pizza, you can add lots of other healthy ingredients. For example, you can use ketchup, basil, baby tomatoes, olive oil and a little cheese. For dough, if you can’t make it yourself at home, you can buy dough at the store.
- When making humbergers, try to use healthy foods such as mushrooms, lean meats. So, you don’t need to buy a humberger with cheese which is rich in cholesterol, and saturated fat. You can choose meat for your humberger at home, using lean chicken or turkey. For a nicer and tantalizing taste, add mushrooms, they have a meaty taste and are also rich in nutrients.
- Eat more nutritious chips and nuts than the potato chips on the market. For example, healthy chips are kale chips, malunggay chips, banana chips and many more. Apart from chips, nuts are also the best choice for those of you who want to enjoy healthy snacks.
- For those who like fruit, choose fresh fruit and avoid sweet snacks. Fresh fruit is better and healthier than having to consume sweet candy, sweets, and cakes. So get used to consuming fruit or making it a snack.
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There are many choices of fruits and healthy foods, instead of consuming processed foods or junk foods that can have an adverse effect on health, you better familiarize yourself, your family and friends with eating fresh foods as we have mentioned above. Make these foods as a substitute for the junk food that you always consumed before.
