Is That Food Bad?

This is a question that is constantly asked because there are so many different perspectives on food. My teaching is that some foods are less healthy than others because they are full of empty calories, sugars, salts, and other artificial flavor/ingredients. Foods that are less nutrient dense are not as healthy, so they should be consumed sparingly. Foods that have been chemically processed and made solely from refined ingredients and artificial substances, are what is generally known as processed food.

Many studies show that sugar can have devastating effects on metabolism that go way beyond its calorie content. It can lead to insulin resistance, high triglycerides, increased levels of the harmful cholesterol, and increased fat accumulation in the liver and abdominal cavity. Sugar consumption is strongly associated with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Most people aren't dumping huge amounts of sugar in their coffee or on top of their cereal, they're getting it from processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

Highly processed foods often contain: Preservatives- Chemicals that prevent the food from rotting. Colorants- Chemicals that are used to give the food a specific color. Flavor- Chemicals that give the food a particular flavor. Texturants- Chemicals that give a particular texture. Keep in mind that processed foods can contain dozens of additional chemicals that aren't even listed on the label.

For example, "artificial flavor" is a proprietary blend. Manufacturers don't have to disclose exactly what it means and it is usually a combination of chemicals. For this reason, if you see "artificial flavor" on an ingredients list, it could mean that there are 10 or more additional chemicals that are blended in to give a specific flavor.

Processed foods are extremely low in essential nutrients compared to whole, unprocessed foods. Real foods like plants and animals, contain thousands of other trace nutrients that science is just beginning to grasp. The more you eat of processed foods, the less you will get of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and various trace nutrients. So, processed foods have a lot of negative things going for them. That is why I recommend that you consume them sparingly. A steady intake of processed foods can lead to poor health so make sure you consume unprocessed foods.

Reference: Kris Gunnars, 9 Ways That Processed Foods Are Harming People, Medical News Today