16 Deadly Food
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1. Hot dogs
Hot dogs are so popular that they have become staples in developing countries worldwide. You see them everywhere – hot dog stands, school cafeterias, fast food joints, and groceries. In stadiums, vendors even walk around to sell them. That’s how crazy people are over dogs!
Normally, they are made up of pork or beef trimmings and fat. But we love them so much that we also use chicken or turkey nowadays. No additional seasoning is needed for these babies since they already contain flavorings like salt, garlic, and paprika. These are not the only ingredients of hot dogs however. Like all processed meats are, hot dogs contain preservatives to extend their shelf life. Sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrate are the two common preservatives added to them. Science has proved time and again that these additives are linked to health problems.
In a study by the American Institute of Cancer Research, eating about one hot dog every day increases your risk for developing colorectal cancer by 20 percent. Meanwhile, the World Cancer Research Fund found in a review of more than 7,000 studies linking diet and cancer that hot dogs are among the biggest offenders. Together with ham, bacon, and salami, they are more likely to cause cancer than other types of processed meats.
Hot dogs also pose a choking hazard in children. A U.S. study reveals that in children below 10 years of age, 17 percent of food-related asphyxiations were caused by hot dogs. Their shape, size, and texture make them deadly to young kids. Once trapped along the windpipe, a piece of hotdog is difficult to expel, which then results in choking and possible death.
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2. Soda
Okay, so maybe this is not something you actually eat. But you do drink them on occasion which is why they made it to this list.
A soda is a carbonated drink, typically a mix of carbonated water, flavoring, and sweeteners. Sugar, sugar substitutes, fruit juice, corn syrup, or a combination of any of these are used to sweeten this beverage. Caffeine and colorings may also be added into sodas. And then of course there are the dreaded preservatives, though it’s not the only thing you should be afraid of. The combined use of preservatives and sweeteners make soda extra deadly. It poses health concerns which predispose you to a number of deadly diseases.
Drinking beverages sweetened with sugars in whatever form is associated with weight changes. The daily consumption of soda leads to weight gain, increasing the risk for obesity. The link between soda consumption and weight gain was seen in both children and adults in two separate studies. In the study involving more than 500 schoolchildren for a course of over 19 months, they found that for every soda a child drank, there was an increase of 0.24 kg/m2 in body mass index (BMI). The 8-year study of about 50,000 female nurses showed that those who drank more sodas gained an average of 8 kg during the study compared to the 2.8 kg weight gain in women who reduced their soda consumption.
Obesity is a health concern that must be taken seriously, as it is related to diseases that claim the lives of millions of people every day. Namely, these are diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
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3. Breakfast cereals
We are made to believe that fortified breakfast cereals are healthy. To a certain degree, they are. Several studies have proved that they help with both weight loss and weight management. What many don’t know is that many of the cereals currently available in the market are overloaded with nutrients. And too much of anything is always a bad thing.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a health research and advocacy organization based in Washington, reported that food manufacturers use obsolete nutritional labeling rules. The report states that children are ingesting “unhealthy amounts” of vitamin A, niacin, and zinc through fortified breakfast cereals. These nutrients are available in amounts that were intended for adults – and that’s not all. Even for adults, these amounts are beyond daily needs.
EWG analyzed the nutrition facts of 1,556 breakfast cereals and found that 114 of them are fortified with vitamins A, niacin, and zinc with amounts more than 30 percent of an adult’s recommended daily intake. 23 more cereals were discovered to be fortified with one or more of these nutrients in amounts much greater than the levels considered safe for children aged 8 and below based on the standards of the Institute of Medicine. Too much nutrient intake can lead to short and long-term health concerns, and even death as a complication.
Excessive vitamin A intake has been linked to liver damage, skeletal abnormalities, and hair loss. Having too much zinc in your system impedes the absorption of copper. Copper is a mineral that is necessary for the production of red and white blood cells. Excess zinc levels can therefore impair the immune system, your body’s defense against deadly infectious diseases.
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4. Potato chips
Who doesn’t love potato chips? They’re crispy, they’re tasty, and they come in different flavors! Just thought you should know every bag of potato chips also has calories, fat, and unhealthy amounts of salt. The combination of all three is so bad for your health that you could die out of it!
Chips are normally high in fat and calories, two things that make you more likely to gain weight and become obese. One serving, which is about 15 to 20 potato chips, contains 154 calories and 10 grams of fat. Because a whole bag has more than a serving, you can only imagine the damage an entire bag can do to your body in one sitting.
In a study of The New England Journal of Medicine published in 2011, eating an ounce of potato chips was linked to a weight gain of 1.69 pounds every four years on average. It was also found that the link between weight gain and potato chips was stronger compared to other factors that caused weight gain like high-sugar beverages, processed meats, and diet. Being overweight and obese is like giving diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer a free pass to your body.
Frequent consumption of potato chips also leads to increased cholesterol levels. Because most of them are deep-fried, they are full of trans fat, the deadliest type known to man. In Britain, a study shows that eating a packet of potato chips every day is equivalent to drinking nearly 5 liters of cooking oil every year. The oils used to fry potato chips are usually saturated fats which will drive your cholesterol to dangerous levels. A 2007 study which appeared in the Circulation journal associated high LDL cholesterol levels with a higher risk for coronary heart disease.
The sodium content of potato chips is also ridiculously high. Each serving has 120 to 180 milligrams of sodium, and tortilla types can have up to 160 milligrams per serving. Sodium consumption must be limited to 2,300 mg a day for healthy people and a big bag of potato chips have enough to fill your daily needs. Excessive sodium intake can lead to hypertension, which in turn can cause coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney problems.
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5. Packaged cookies
Oreos, Chip’s Ahoy, Keebler, Girl Scout Cookies, and butter cookies… the list goes on. These sweet store-bought treats are often too delectable to resist. One of their main ingredients is partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. You might think “Vegetable oils?! That’s awesome!” But no – they’re not cool. This is one of those few rare instances where by-products of vegetables are not healthy for human consumption.
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils like palm oil and palm kernel oil contain trans fats and saturated fats. Many studies associate trans fat to higher chances of heart disease. Other studies suggest that it also increases the risks for obesity and diabetes, two more deadly health problems. Palm oil is one of the most commonly used ingredients in making these sweet snacks. It is 50 percent unsaturated and 50 percent saturated fat. Palm kernel oil, which is derived from the seeds of palm fruits, is a cause for more worry. It contains 82 percent saturated fat.
Fats are not the only unhealthy component of supermarket cookies. Sugar and calories are also a normal part of every cookie you pop into your mouth. And like any food with staggering amounts of sugar and calories, they will cause you to pack up on weight with just a few servings.
A single serving of Double Stuf Oreo has more than 5 teaspoons of sugar, which is beyond the recommended daily sugar intake by the American Heart Association for children (3 teaspoons), and provides more than half of the daily recommended intake for men (9 teaspoons) and women (6 teaspoons). Just one Oreo Golden Fudge Crème cookie gives you 180 calories and 18 grams of sugar, plus 9 grams of fat and 5 grams of saturated fat.
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6. Pancakes
Pancakes are a good way to fill your stomach early in the morning when there’s a long day ahead of you. And they do contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals. A singe serving is enough to provide you 18 percent of your daily recommended calcium intake, 20 percent of phosphorus, and 12 percent of riboflavin and iodine. You also get decent quantities of vitamins B6, B12, C, thiamin, and minerals including copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc from them.
Pancakes are also great sources for carbohydrates and proteins without being too heavy on these macronutrients. It’s a shame they have just the right amount of fat, sugars, and sodium to tip it off a weight watcher’s scale. Because of this, it can be classified as an unhealthy breakfast, especially if you eat more than a single serving.
One serving of pancakes is equivalent to one or two 4-inch pieces. And a single serving of these fluffy breakfast meal contains 8.8 grams of fat. 44 percent of its fat content, or 3.9 grams, is saturated fat. Having more than 15 grams of saturated fat each day is not advisable. Add butter to flavor, and you will blast the levels of saturated fats in pancakes off the charts. A serving of pancake also has 4.3 grams of sugar. Slathering it with maple syrup will greatly add up to its sugar content. It also has 308 mg of sodium and the daily limit for sodium intake averages at 1,500 to 2,300 mg.
The deadly combination of saturated fats, sugars, and salt in pancakes raises the risk for heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and many more.
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7. Packaged Yogurt
Don’t be deceived by this so-called “diet” food. Yes, it is a great way to incorporate calcium into your nutrition so you can protect yourself against osteoporosis. And yes, it has decent amounts of protein to encourage muscle repair. Yogurt even has “good bacteria” or probiotics which encourage the healthy digestion and absorption of nutrients. To top it off, yogurt is low on calories and does not carry the risks of weight gain and obesity.
Then again, most yogurts available in the market either have High Fructose Corn Syrup or artificial sweeteners. Both contain high amounts of sugar. Even if you added fresh fruits like blueberries and strawberries into these yogurts, it does not change the fact that they are pre-packed with sugary goodness. Plus, yogurt bars tend to serve large portions of them so you end up getting more than what your body needs in a day.
High sugar intake increases the possibility of developing diabetes, a disease that causes complications such as heart problems and kidney failure. Even if you don’t gain weight from yogurts and manage to maintain a healthy figure, you are not fully spared from serious health issues. Remember that too much of anything is bad for your body. Eating more than one serving of yogurt every day, which is about half a baseball, will provide excess calcium, vitamin A, and probiotics to your body.
Excess calcium intake has been linked to kidney stones, prostate cancer, and the buildup of calcium in blood vessels – a danger in itself as it disrupts proper blood circulation and oxygenation of your organs. It also impairs the absorption of iron and zinc. Have too much vitamin A and you will get weak bones. Excessive dairy intake has been associated with increased risks of ovarian cancer. And while an imbalance of digestive organisms should not cause worry, it can still result in unpleasant reactions like stomach upset, gas, and diarrhea.
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8. French fries
French fries are one of our guiltiest pleasures. It’s one of the quickest ways to make a person overweight in as little time possible, and the fastest road to several health problems namely heart disease and diabetes.
A small serving of French fries from popular fast food chains like McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King has an average of 200 to 340 calories, but no one eats these anymore. With the growing popularity of supersized fries, people would rather go for a large serving which could have up to 730 calories. Curly fries and cheese-flavored varieties are even bigger offenders on calorie count. And you know what that means – a speedy weight gain.
The main reason why French fries can be so unhealthy is because they are fried, often in hydrogenated vegetable oils like canola, corn, and soybean oil. The constant reheating of these oils damages their polyunsaturated fats, making them even more unhealthy than they already are. Studies reveal a link between saturated fats and arterial clogging, which can lead to stroke and death.
As if that’s not enough, the oils used in frying French fries are also high in trans fat. Trans fats increases the body’s cholesterol levels, which raises the risk for heart disease, stroke, liver disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. A study of 80,000 women showed that a 5 percent increase of saturated fat in their diet resulted in a 17 percent likelihood for heart disease. It takes only a 2 percent increase of trans fat in the diet to increase this prevalence to 93 percent.
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9. Deli meats
Deli meats are popular choices for packed lunch and used as a sandwich filling. They also make easy-to-serve dishes in parties and gatherings. Available in vacuum packs or ready to be sliced at a deli counter, they comes in a variety of choices and meats including bologna, chicken breast, chicken roll, devon sausage, ham, pepperoni, prosciutto, roast beef, salami, turkey breast, and turkey roll just to name a few. No matter the type, these deli meats contain sodium nitrite, a preservative commonly used in processed meats and is associated with cancer.
Don’t take it the wrong way. Sodium nitrite serves a good purpose. It is added in deli meats to prevent the growth of bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum which is notorious for causing botulism. It also helps to preserve the meat color in cured meats and poultry products. Unfortunately, cooking these cold meats causes the nitrite to bond with amines and create a carcinogenic compound called N-nitroso. These nasty compounds have been linked to cancers of the digestive tract and the brain.
190,000 people between the ages of 45 and 75 years were monitored for their processed meat intake for 7 years. This was a study by the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and the University of Southern California published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute last 2005. It was discovered that people who ate the most processed meats had a 68 percent greater risk for pancreatic cancer than individuals who ate them at a minimum. In Sweden, research revealed that Swedes who ate an average of 3 oz of meat a day had a 15 percent more likelihood for developing stomach cancer compared to those who ate 2 oz or less each day.
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11. Cheese
Surprised? Cheese isn’t supposed to be bad for you. It has plenty of calcium, which strengthens the bones. It is a great source for protein and a few other nutrients like vitamin A, B12, phosphorus, riboflavin, and zinc. Cheese contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fat that is thought to assist in weight reduction and protecting the body against cancer and heart diseases. But the way we tend to eat cheese makes it unhealthy. We pour it all over our nachos, slather our pizza with it, and spread it on crackers and bread like there’s no tomorrow.
Cheese is a high-calorie food with an average of 100 calories per ounce. Eat too much of it in a day or pair it with other foods rich in calories and you will be closer to weight gain than you will be to weight loss. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average American eats 30 pounds of cheese every year which is three times more than the amount they consume 40 years ago.
It’s high in fat too with about 6 to 9 grams per ounce. And cheese is mostly made up of saturated fats, the “bad fat” we’re oh-so-afraid about due to its ill effects on the heart. Additionally, cheese typically contains plenty of sodium which predisposes you to high blood pressure and increases your risk for hypertensive heart disease.
In a study published at the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, cheese and dairy products have been linked to increased incidences in breast cancer. Nutrition and Cancer featured a study with a similar conclusion, associating cheese with higher incidences of lung and lymphoid cancer. It must be considered that many of the cheeses available in the market today undergo heavy processing and include unhealthy additives which likely cause these cancers.
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12. Salty snacks
Potato chips aren’t the only salty snacks we crave so often. There are salted crackers, salted nuts, salted chips, and many more. Some of these snacks are actually quite healthy if eaten in moderation. Eat more than you’re supposed to, and your sodium levels are going to sky rocket.
The human body needs salt to help regulate our blood circulation. Taken in larger quantities than we can handle, circulation will be altered. As a result, the blood pressure of a person increases with every heavily salted snack.
In 2011, a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating salt-laden foods prevented blood vessels from dilating even in people with normal blood pressure. It goes to show that you do not need to have hypertension to suffer the negative effects of excessive sodium intake. This study also revealed that the increase in blood pressure occurred 30 minutes after eating a salty snack and doesn’t subside until after two hours. Eat these salty snacks regularly and you are doomed to develop hypertension and possibly suffer from a stroke.
High salt intake is also associated with weight gain. While it has no caloric value and won’t make you put on pounds because of fat, it does something else that tips off the scale – water retention. Remember that salt affects your circulation. One way it actually does this is by retaining more water in your blood stream which then shifts towards the skin to give you this puffy look. As far as puffy goes, it only looks good on cotton candy, not on humans.
Even though water retention seems harmless, it is dangerous and contributes to the increased blood pressure, which in turn raises the possibility of incurring a heart attack and stroke.
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13. Pork
Bacon, pork chops, ham, and ribs are quite enough to send you into food coma. Pork tastes so amazingly good that we’ve come up with thousands of ways to prepare it! We roast it, fry it, bake it, and even serve it rare at times. As much as we love pork meat, it isn’t good for the health if consumed regularly.
The body digests foods at different rates. Fruits and vegetables are digested faster. Red meats like pork and processed meats in general, take their slow good time. Because these meats stay longer in the digestive tract, the body is given more time to absorb their proteins and fats and convert them to stored fat. Thus, a diet heavy on pork increases your chances of gaining weight.
Consuming excess amounts of red and processed meats has also been linked to increased risks for colorectal cancer. This is perhaps due to the decreased bowel movement caused by a meat-based diet. Evidence shows that the more people eat these meats, the more likely they will have bowel cancer.
A dietary survey in United Kingdom reveals than 1 in every 10 women and 4 in every 10 men eat more than 90 grams of red and processed meat every day. The Department of Health recommends people to eat no more than 70 grams of cooked red meat each day to decrease the possibilities of developing colorectal cancer. Aside from pork, you must also be cautious of other red meats such as beef, goat, lamb, veal, and venison since they carry the same risks.
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14. Pasta
We have to love the Italians for this world-famous staple. That and pizza. But pasta can be harmful to your health. Eat them constantly and consistently for years and you’re going to gain more than just a few pounds.
Pasta is a carbohydrate-rich food with a high glycemic index. This means that as soon as it’s digested, your blood sugar levels will increase. A healthy diet constitutes of eating half a cup of cooked pasta in a day. Anything more than that will drive your blood sugar levels beyond the limits. Adding cheese and meats cooked in oil only increases the calorie count of any pasta dish and soaks it with unhealthy fats.
The carbohydrates in pasta alone can cause weight gain and possibly obesity. Both are predisposing factors for heart disease. More than 47,000 Italian men and women were investigated for their carbohydrate intake and its impact on their glycemic levels. It was revealed that a quarter of women who consumed the most carbohydrates were twice as likely to develop heart disease compared to those who consumed the least amount. Also worth noting is that the risk for heart disease was only present in foods that had high glycemic carbohydrates like pasta, but was inexistent in low-glycemic carbs. Pasta may also result in diabetes if the body is unable to produce enough insulin to metabolize the sugars in the blood stream.
Bread and rice are also high-carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index. So even if you use them as alternatives to pasta, their consumption must still be limited. Only one slice of bread or half a cup of cooked rice is recommended for daily consumption.
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15. Coffee
Nothing else can start your day right. Coffee is one of our favorite breakfast drinks. To some, it is more than just a hot cup of caffeine that jumpstarts their mornings. It is an indispensable part of their daily lives.
Coffee can lend several health benefits. When prepared from good quality ground coffee, it is an ample source for antioxidants that encourage weight loss and prevent aging. Fresh, organic, high-quality ground coffee has been shown to improve mental alertness. Heavy drinkers of the sort experience reduced incidences of diseases such as Parkinson’s.
That said, long-term consumption of coffee has also been associated with increased risks for osteoporosis, elevated cholesterol levels, and heart disease. Many coffee drinkers have more than just a few small cups in a day, which only makes matters worse. And most of us drink instant coffee anyway, which have plenty of calories and sugars.
One of the dangers involving coffee is that it contains acrylamide, a potentially cancer-causing agent that is formed from coffee beans roasted in high temperatures. The darker the coffee roast, the higher its acrylamide content is. Studies show that coffee is one of the major sources of this dangerous by-product of coffee bean preparation.
Drinking coffee more than once a day has also been linked to greater stress levels. The caffeine found in coffee stimulates the release of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine – stress hormones that should only be released when the ‘fight or flight’ response is elicited. Because these are almost always present in regular coffee drinkers, they tend to be jittery and have difficulty relaxing. Caffeine also interferes with the metabolism of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that affects our mood and stress tolerance.
The stress caused by heavy coffee drinking is unhealthy and dangerous. It increases your risk for heart disease, asthma, and other illnesses that may be aggravated by stressful conditions. A shifty mood will affect the quality of your life and add up to the stress too.
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16. Fried foods
Fried meat, chips, or fried anything is the deadliest food you eat every day. What makes the process of frying food unhealthy is that it adds to their total fat and calorie count. This is particularly true for breaded types which soak up more oil.
Fried foods are typically served in restaurants, fast food chains, or even at home. They contain trans fat and saturated fat, and may have too many calories in large servings. Fried foods cause weight gain, obesity, and high cholesterol levels in many individuals. Continue to include them in your diet and you are bound to develop plaques in your arteries that will lead to heart attack and stroke. Fried food also raises cholesterol levels, leaving an individual more likely to have a heart disease.
In 2013, a study published in the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases shows that eating fried foods more than four times a week increased the risk for obesity compared to eating them just two times or less each week. A CBS News report released in 2013 says that Southern cuisine, which normally incorporates fried foods, increases the risk for stroke by up to 41 percent. It only takes eating six fried meals a week to develop this risk.
There is also an increased chance for developing diabetes with the consumption of fried food. A 2011 study which appeared at Diabetes Care shows that regular consumption of fried foods is associated with greater risks for type 2 diabetes. A more recent study in 2013 shows that women who consumed shallow-fried foods each day were more likely to suffer diabetes than those who ate them less often.
Before you reach out for that fried food, you must also consider its link to cancer. A study published in the Prostate journal in 2013 revealed that eating them even once a week was linked to higher risks for prostate cancer in men.
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