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We generally get tempted by frequently advertised food items high in ingredients such as sugar, fat and salt. Huffingtonpost.com shares a list of addictive unhealthy food items:
* Processed baked goods: Eating just one Oreo seems like it is just not an option. Studies show an ingredient in many baked goods - high-fructose corn syrup, can actually cause reactions similar to those made by drug abuse.
* Soda with caffeine: Soda's combination of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, with caffeine, is the perfect addictive recipe.
* Potato chips: Potato chips are high in salt and fat. When we bite into a greasy, fatty potato chip, our nerve endings send signals, which travel up to the pleasure center of our brains. We eventually overload the pleasure center, and crash. Then, we want more, more, more.
* French fries: The salt in those fried potato sticks is precisely what keeps us hooked, and always wanting more.
* Ice cream: It is also full of fat, calories, sugar, and often the addictive high-fructose corn syrup.
Here some reasons junk food is bad for your health
Over the past few decades, vada pav, samosas, doughnuts, pizzas, burgers, rolls, wraps, frankies, french fries, etc have penetrated every corner our country. You step out of your house and you'll see them being served everywhere from malls, restaurants and roadside corners to office and college canteens.
But have you ever thought why are they called 'junk'? The word 'junk' refers to something that is extra and useless. And all your delicious, favourite foods do complete justice to what the name signifies. The consequences that these junk food have on your health are terrible, irrespective of whether you have them once in a while, twice in a week or every day.
Take a look at how these junk play a crucial role in deteriorating your health.
1. Junk food may be the reason behind your fatigue: Although junk food and fast food makes you feel full and satisfied, they lack all the necessary nutrients like proteins and carbohydrates to keep your body energized and healthy.
If you eat junk food every time you're hungry, you may feel chronically fatigued. It can lower your energy levels to an extent that it may become difficult for you to even perform your daily tasks. Read more about the difference between tiredness and fatigue.
2. Junks food may lead to depression in teenagers: A lot of hormonal changes take place in teenagers which makes them susceptible to mood swings and behavioural changes. And a healthy diet plays an important role in maintaining that hormonal balance. Because junk food lack those essential nutrients, the likelihood of teenagers to suffer from depression is increased by 58 percent. Try these tips to treat depression
3. It impairs digestion: Those who are addicted to fatty junk food are bound to have digestive problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That's because junk food is deep fried. So, the oil from the junk food gets deposited in the stomach causing acidity. They cause irritation of the stomach lining because they are too spicy, and they also lack fibre which is important for proper digestion. Try these yoga poses to improve digestion.
4. It causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels: Junk food is high in refined sugar which puts your metabolism under stress. Refined sugar causes the pancreas to secrete more amount of insulin in order to prevent a drastic spike in your blood sugar levels. Because junk food lacks sufficient levels of good carbohydrates and proteins, the levels of blood sugar drop suddenly after you eat. This makes you feel irritable and further increases you craving for more junk food. Read more about 10 reasons junk food is bad for your health
With inputs from IANS
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