Processed Foods Linked to Increase in Obesity and Cancer

Source Courtesy: http://www.naturalnews.com/033578_processed_foods_cancer.html#

When processed food comes to mind, many people think they are safe because of the fact that they do not consume takeouts or eat at restaurants. The truth is that any food or food product found on grocery store shelves in bags or boxes is in fact processed, as it is not in its natural form. Many of the ingredients in processed foods such as artificial colourants, preservatives and nitrites have been linked to the skyrocketing amount of obesity and cancer among the population today.

Any food which has been canned, frozen, boxed or bagged is classified as processed food. Studies have shown that close to 90% of an average American's food budget is spent on these frankenfood items. Ingredients found in these foods which should be avoided include colourants, emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, stabilizers, texturizers and even bleach products.

A seven year study done by the University of Hawaii revealed that people who consume processed meat products had a 67% higher risk of falling prey to pancreatic cancer than those who ate few to no processed meat products. According to the World Health Organization, the amount of processed foods that are consumed these days are responsible for the increasing levels of obesity and even heart disease. One of the reasons for this is the high salt, sugar and fat content that is present in these foods.

The Link Between MSG in Processed Foods & Obesity

Source Courtesy: http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/msgandobesity081105.cfm

If fried snack chips had a warning printed right on the bag that said, "Warning: these chips will make you obese," would you still buy them? Would you still eat them? Well, in a sense, you do see that warning on chips; just read the ingredient list. Research suggests that monosodium glutamate causes obesity, making unhealthy snacks even unhealthier than you may have suspected. I'm sure you already know that tortilla and potato chips aren't health foods, right? They're made with fried fats, they almost always harbor hidden toxic chemicals (acrylamides), and if they're flavored, they usually containmonosodium glutamate (MSG). This is basically a recipe for obesity. But how does MSG cause obesity? Like aspartame, MSG is an excitotoxin, a substance that overexcites neurons to the point of cell damage and, eventually, cell death. Humans lack a blood-brain barrier in the hypothalamus, which allows excitotoxins to enter the brain and cause damage, according to Dr. Russell L. Blaylock in his book Excitotoxins. According to animal studies, MSG creates a lesion in the hypothalamus that correlates with abnormal development, including obesity, short stature and sexual reproduction problems.

Processed or Genetically Modified Foods Affect Fertility?

Source Courtesy: http://www.fertilityfactor.com/can-over-processed-or-genetically-modified-foods-affect-fertility.html

Almost one in every seven American couples will struggle with infertility, and in at least twenty percent of those cases there will be no obvious medical reason for the inability to conceive. It is believed that women who eat healthy diets, therefore have healthy, stable insulin levels are much more likely to ovulate regularly while those who eat in a less healthy manner, leading to insulin resistance or diabetes, are much more prone to have ovulation cycles which are less than regular. Trans fats, which have been in the news frequently lately as a negative diet factor, are thought to disrupt hormones as well, and it is recommended that a woman who is trying to conceive do her best to eat as little food with unhealthy trans fats in them as possible-less than two grams, or better yet, none at all.

Some Foods Which Negatively Affect Your Fertility

Any food which contains a substance known as xenoestrogens-which many highly processed foods contain-can negatively affect fertility as they have the unique, and unwanted ability to reproduce specific pregnancy hormones. While we all love our cup of coffee in the mornings, some nutritionists believe that even that one cup of coffee can seriously slash your chances of getting pregnant-as much as fifty percent, possibly. Although soy has been shown to be a healthy addition to the diet in many cases, soy foods should be avoided by both men and women who are trying to conceive a baby. Soy has been shown to lower sperm counts in men, and create estrogen levels which are too high in a woman, preventing her from getting pregnant.

9 Ways That Processed Foods are Slowly Killing People

Source Courtesy: http://authoritynutrition.com/9-ways-that-processed-foods-are-killing-people/

Processed foods are bad.

They are the main reason why people all over the world are getting fat and sick.

How do we know?

Every time a population adopts a “Western” diet high in processed foods, they get sick.

It happens within a few years. Their genes don’t change, their food does.

Real vs Processed Food

The word “processed” often causes some confusion, so let me clarify what I mean.

Obviously, most foods we eat are processed in some way. Apples are cut from trees, ground beef has been ground in a machine and butter is cream that has been separated from the milk and churned.

But there is a difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing.

If it’s a single ingredient food with no added chemicals, then it doesn’t matter if it’s been ground or put into a jar. It’s still real food.

However… foods that have been chemically processed and made solely from refined ingredients and artificial substances, are what is generally known as “processed food.”

Here are 9 ways that processed foods are bad for your health.

1. Processed Foods Are Usually High in Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sugar cubes

Processed foods are usually loaded with added sugar… or its evil twin, High Fructose Corn Syrup.

It is well known that sugar, when consumed in excess, is seriously harmful.

As we all know, sugar is “empty” calories – it has no essential nutrients, but a large amount of energy.

But empty calories are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the harmful effects of sugar…

Many studies show that sugar can have devastating effects on metabolism that go way beyond its calorie content .