Darius Jasinski visiting your favorite fast food restaurant or your favorite drive-through is always common practice. According to the analysis of the Food Institute, most Americans spend an average of 45% of their total budget in fast food restaurants.
Undoubtedly, most of the fast-food items contain a large number of unhealthy fats, sodium, added sugar, and carbohydrates. Instead of offering nutrients, they provide an excessive amount of calories. And if you frequently replace your nutritious foods with fast foods, it will generate many kinds of negative effects on your body. Annihilating the weight loss goal is just one of the few examples.
In this article, we’ll discuss 5 harmful effects fast food can cause to your body.
Fat And Sugar
Darius Jasinski most of the fast-food meals come with added sugar. Apart from providing a little nutrition, it gives you extra calories. The American Heart Association (AHA) strongly recommends only consuming a maximum amount of 100 to 150 calories each day. That’s more or less 9 teaspoons.
Nearly all fast food drinks are over 12 ounces and there exist 8 teaspoons of added sugar in a 12-ounce soda can.
You should also be aware of trans-fat. Here is a list of foods that contains trans-fat:
- Pizza dough
- Cookies
- Fried pies
- Crackers
- Pastries
Darius Jasinski even a small amount of trans-fat is injurious for your health. It decreases your HDL (good cholesterol) and increases your LDL (bad cholesterol). Aside from that, it also increases the risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes.
Sodium
Fast food is a combination of sugar, fat, and lots of sodium that makes them tastier. But if you eat foods high in sodium, it can cause water retention. This is the main reason why you feel swollen or bloated after consuming fast food, says Darius Jasinski.
Sodium can also put stress on your heart as well as increase the blood pressure level. So, if you suffer from blood pressure conditions, you should avoid fast food as much as you can.
According to a study, 90% of adults avoid checking the amount of sodium in their junk food meals. Remember that AHA recommends adults to consume a maximum of 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily.
Affects the Respiratory System
Fast food meals contain excess calories. This can cause weight gain as well as obesity. Obesity makes you vulnerable to many respiratory problems such as shortness of breath or asthma.
Darius Jasinski this will also affect your heart and lungs and you may grow symptoms even if you exercise a little. You may also face several breathing problems when exercising, climbing stairs, or even walking.
Damage the Reproductive System
Darius Jasinski the non-healthy ingredients in your fast food or junk food are so dangerous that it can affect your reproductive system. In other words, you may face infertility problems.
A study found that some packaged or canned food contains phthalates. It is the chemical that interrupts the hormones acting on your body. Consuming a high amount of this chemical can develop reproductive issues as well as birth defects.
Effects on Your Bones
Aside from phthalates, processed foods and fast food contain sugar and carbs which increase acids in your mouth. These acids damage the tooth enamel and when tooth enamel is erased, bacteria take over and develop cavities.
Obesity can also weaken your muscle mass and bone density. The people who are specifically suffering from obesity are at greater risk of breaking their bones. This is why you should always exercise to build muscle strength and bone density.
Conclusion
These are the 6 harmful effects of fast food on your body. However, not every fast food is bad for your health. Some menu items contain fewer amounts of sodium, fat, and sugar level. So, it’s best if you check the ingredients first. But to be honest, the majority of fast food items do consist of unhealthy ingredients. So, to build good physical health, you should focus more on homemade meals instead of junk foods.