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It's pretty common nowadays for people to keep a check on the number of calories they eat. The supposedly healthy-eating people often resort to instant soups and oats, confusing them for healthy food. But more often than not, they are wrong! Are you one of those? Then scroll through to find out about the number of things you are accidentally eating under the pretext of eating healthy.
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Artificial Sugar: No, this is not about the artificial sweetener you add to your morning tea. Packaged foods, instant breakfasts, desserts, sugar-free chewing gums, energy drinks, soft drinks, flavoured milk, etc. are loaded with synthetic sweeteners like aspartame. These sweeteners are associated with weight gain, type-2-diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
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Artificial colours: Most of the packaged food looks appetising because of the artificial colours it is loaded with -- Metanil Yellow, Rhodamine, lead chromate are a few permitted colours. Most of these colours are known to affect the liver, kidney and retard growth. Lead chromate is known to cause anaemia and lead poisoning.
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Parabens: Parabens are also preservatives that prevent bacteria and fungus growth on food. Although not called parabens, they are labelled with E-numbers instead. They are found in various sauces, desserts, soft drinks, processed meat and fish, ice creams, yoghurts, jams and pickles. Some studies link parabens to hormone disruption and claim that it can lead to diminished fertility as it mimics estrogen altering hormone signalling.
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Preservatives: Fancy a salad with some dressing? Well, that dressing is preserved with sodium benzoate. It is the most common used preservative and is used in vinegar, jams and jellies, pickles, fruit juices and also certain medicines and cosmetics. According to a study, sodium benzoate, along with artificial colours can lead to hyperactivity in children.
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Monosodium glutamate: MSG, also known as a Chinese Salt, is a taste enhancer and is widely found in packaged and processed foods like chips, salad dressings, cold cuts and other salty flavoured snacks. MSG is known to slow down neurological functions like memory and learning. It also leads to liver inflammations and headaches.
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High fructose corn syrup: Also a type of sweetener it is made from corn syrup and is sweeter and cheaper, and hence replaces sucrose. It is commonly used in beverages and non-diet soft drinks, bread, ice cream, breakfast cereals, cough syrups, baked items, etc. Researchers believe that corn syrup increases the risk of developing obesity and type-2-diabetes.
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Salt: Are you on a low-salt diet to control your BP? But, what about that pack of instant masala oats you had for breakfast or the soup drink every evening as a part of your weight loss diet? Instant foods, in general, are loaded with salt or sodium as it acts as a natural preservative. Hypertension and heart disease are a few complications of excessive salt intake.
