Why Is Junk Food So Harmful for Us? Know About 30+ Side Effects!

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suryani pandey
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In this genz-era, people have even started to talk like genz, dress like genz, and especially eat like genz. Eating like genz mostly includes eating junk foods which we do on a daily basis like eating junk foods has become a part of our daily routine. From noodles to manchurian, from burgers to pizzas, from momos to waterballs, from chips to kukures, from desserts to chocolates, from soft drinks to beverages, all of this though seems too tempting to eat but it is more harmful for our health than being delicious. Hence, we should be aware about the consumption of junk foods.

What are Junk Foods?

Junk Foods

Junk foods are basically those foods which are highly processed while being full of sugar, salt, calories and unhealthy fats. Junk foods does not consist of any nutrients or vitamins or fibers or proteins. Junk foods are regarded as fast foods that provide empty calories. Although these foods provide very delicious flavors which gives satisfaction for a short term-period but gives a lot of harm to body for a long-term period. 

How are Junk Foods Harmful to us? Know The Dangers Behind Our Favorite Snacks

Junk Foods

  • Junk foods are loaded with empty calories and provide very low nutritional value. This is because empty calories provide energy but there is no involvement of essential nutrients in it.
  • Daily consumption of junk foods leads the body to receive calories without any intake of vitamins and nutrients.
  • If such foods are frequently consumed then it will lead to deficiency of nutrients, leading to weakening the immune system and feelings of dizziness and weakness.
  • Junk foods lead the body in gaining weight and causing obesity, that is, acquiring fat in the body excessively. 
  • These foods are full of unhealthy fats which directly causes weight gain.
  • These foods have too much amount of salt and sugar present in it. 
  • These foods are full of carbohydrates that are refined in state. 
  • When there is excessive consumption of these types of foods then it results into slowing down the process and functioning of metabolism.
  • Too much intake of such foods leads to the storage of fat while causing obesity.
  • Obesity results into further problems like increasing the risk of heart diseases, increase in sugar levels, fluctuations in blood pressure and disturbance caused of the hormonal imbalance.
  • One such harmful effect of these foods is the addition of the levels of bad cholesterol in our body, that is low density lipoprotein and the reduction of good cholesterol in our body, that is high density lipoprotein.
  • The addition of bad cholesterol and the reduction of good cholesterol is caused because of the unsaturated fats contained in these types of foods.
  • Frequent consumption of these foods leads to clogging the arteries resulting in higher risks of the mishappening of heart strokes.
  • If you regularly keep on eating these foods then it will put constant physical stress and mental stress on your body.
  • Physical stress weakens the cardiovascular system in our human body.
  • Mental stress weakens the mental health of a human mind.
  • Junk foods that are very sweet and sugary instantaneously lead to the increase of spikes highly in the levels of blood sugar and causes interruption with the insulin resistance.

Junk Foods

  • If such types of foods cause interruption in the insulin resistance then it leads to the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in the body.
  • The type 2 diabetes, if not controlled within a specific time then the uncontrolled sugar levels leads to further major problems like deteriorating the vision of eye sight or damaging the kidneys.
  • These foods largely and vitally result in harming the digestive system and digestive health.
  • The digestive system is disturbed because junk foods are very low in providing the diary fiber and lack of fiber leads to issues like constipation, bloating, acidity and slowing down the process and functioning of digestion.
  • These foods are too much undergone through food adulteration by preservatives and artificial elements which creates gut bacteria in the body leading to poor functioning of the digestion.
  • Gut bacteria majorly leads to long-term digestive disorders and is not able to absorb the nutrients so there will be no nutrition in the body which makes the body to become un-nutritious. 
  • These foods not just destroy physical but also mental health since they impact the mental well-being by leading to mood swings, cravings, stress, anxiety, tension and depression.
  • Therefore these foods have many negative consequences on the mental health.
  • These foods have literally no nutritional value and poor nutrition negatively impacts the body by affecting the functioning of the brain, memory as in forgetting easily, facing difficulty in focus and concentration.
  • One of the major effects of these foods on the body is that it lowers the immunity thereby weakening the immune system because our immune system depends on nutritional value comprising of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and proteins. 
  • A weaker immune system is the invitation to all sorts of diseases and infections, illnesses and ailments, resulting in lowering the resistance power of the body.  
  • Eating a lot of these type of foods leads to causing the damage to the oral health by affecting the teeth and resulting in decaying of teeth, gum diseases and cavities or rottenness.
  • They, in short, erode the enamel of teeth making the teeth sensitive and weaker which leads to poor oral health and poor oral health leads to infection in teeth which will further cause difficulty in eating properly.
  • If you are used to eating junk foods and you don’t get it, so you feel irritative. This especially happens in children and teenagers.
  • These foods are way too addictive in nature not just from its physical appearance but mostly from its preservative flavors that feels satisfying to the taste buds and feels like eating more and more.
  • The combination of too much sugar, salt, empty calories and unhealthy fats triggered the pleasure seeking principle, that is the dopamine hit in the brain and leads us to crave more.
  • This addictive nature of these foods causes us to do overeating while creating unhealthy eating habits and the consumption of any type of such foods is so harmful to us as they are listed above.

Now you know why “saying Yes to healthy foods and No to junk foods” matters a lot. Healthy foods play a key significance in our body by ensuring to keep our body healthy and nutritious while junk foods only provide harm to the body and nothing good else which you probably read them just now, if not then read it carefully since it is for your benefit. After reading it well, take an oath to reduce the intake and consumption of junk foods as much as possible. Replace all your junk food cravings with healthy foods delight.

Read More: Simple Ways To Reduce Stress In Everyday Life Naturally

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