Table of contents:
- The dangers of packaged food for body health
- 1. Not nutritious
- 2. Contains high sugar, salt and trans fat
- 3. Contains artificial chemicals
- 4. Make fat
- 5. The packaging contains hazardous compounds
Who has never eaten packaged food? Starting from milk, juices, processed meats, fruits, to snacks, everything is available in packaged form. It is undeniable that packaged food has become a part of the lives of many people. But, despite all these conveniences, there are many dangers of packaged food that lurk your health. Watch this article if you don't believe it.
The dangers of packaged food for body health
1. Not nutritious
Usually packaged foods contain very low nutrients compared to fresh foods. The reason is, packaged food must go through various stages of production which reduce the nutritional content in the food.
To replace lost nutrients, packaged food manufacturers will add synthetic fiber, vitamins and minerals in a process called fortification. However, this still cannot replace the goodness of the natural nutrients contained in food.
2. Contains high sugar, salt and trans fat
Sugar, salt and trans fats are common in packaged foods in high amounts. This is the danger of packaged food for the body, because it can increase your risk of getting disease
These three ingredients can have a negative impact on your health if consumed in excess amounts. High sugar consumption can interfere with metabolism and contribute to excess calories in the body. This in turn can lead to insulin resistance, increase triglyceride levels, increase bad cholesterol levels, and increase fat accumulation in the liver and abdominal cavity.
Excess salt intake can also be bad for health. Too much salt in the body can increase blood volume, making the heart work harder, but blood vessels constrict, so your blood pressure will rise.
Meanwhile, the trans fat content in packaged foods can increase bad cholesterol levels in the body. This in turn can increase your risk of heart disease.
3. Contains artificial chemicals
If you often read the information on food packaging, surely you will have come across various names of ingredients that you are not familiar with. It may be an artificial chemical that was intentionally added with a specific function.
Usually, packaged foods are often added with preservatives, colorants, flavor enhancers, texturing agents, and artificial sweeteners. The addition of this chemical is intended so that packaged food has the desired taste and can be stored longer.
Although these chemicals have been tested, they may not really be safe for long-term health. The proof is that the addition of high-fructose corn syrup artificial sweeteners to many foods and beverages has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
4. Make fat
Packaged foods generally have a delicious taste, which everyone loves. Food producers know that consumers love sweet, salty, and fatty foods. So they created food with that taste. Make consumers interested in buying it. Plus, its small packaging makes you not realize how much you've eaten.
Several studies have also shown that the content in packaged foods can make you eat more than you need, as reported by Medical News Today.
Your brain may have a hard time understanding how to feel full, so you can't stop eating packaged foods. Sometimes, you may be "addicted" to wanting to eat again and again until you are full. Without realizing it, you are overeating.
5. The packaging contains hazardous compounds
Not only the content in food can endanger health, but the food packaging can also endanger health. A number of chemicals are contained in food packaging and can be harmful to health. This is a packaged food hazard that can arise in the long run.
This has also been proven by research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Harmful chemicals contained in food packaging can dissolve into the food you eat, so they enter the body.
These chemicals, such as formaldehyde in plastic bottles that can cause cancer, bisphenol A, which is commonly found in food or beverage cans, tributyltin, triclosan, and phthalates.
Even though very little of these chemicals may enter the body, it is still within safe limits. However, long-term exposure can cause a build-up of harmful chemicals in the body, thus endangering health (especially chemicals that can disrupt hormones).
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