Experts state that these foods can create very risky situations in their statements about the harms of processed foods. It is necessary to be more conscious about the harms of processed foods bought from the market. prof. Dr. Onur Yaprak said, “If there is an ingredient list with unknown and complex names, we can say that it is a processed food. Consumption of processed food increases the risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune diseases, depression, colon and stomach cancer.
THEY INCREASES THE RISK OF DANGEROUS DISEASES
prof. Dr. Onur Yaprak drew attention to the negative effects of processed foods on health and said, “It is estimated that 25 to 60 percent of the calories taken from the diet come from processed foods. Foods are processed mechanically or chemically by two different methods. Mechanical methods such as pasteurization are more innocent than chemical processing. During chemical processing, different chemicals are added to foods for different purposes. Chemically processed foods, also called ultra-processed foods, tend to be high in sugar, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates and trans fats. They are therefore a major contributor to obesity and disease worldwide. “A large study of over 100,000 adults found that eating 10 percent more ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater than 10 percent increase in the risks of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disorders.”
PROCESSED FOODS LIST
Stating that it may be impossible to avoid processed foods, Prof. Dr. Leaf continued:
“Processed foods include ready meals and sauces, soups, canned goods, baked or sugar-packed products such as cookies, chips, crackers, wafers, sugary sodas, sausages, salami, sausages, and spreads such as cream cheese. It may be impossible to avoid processed foods completely, but understanding why consuming too much can be harmful is an important step towards improving your health. First, these products typically contain increased amounts of salt, sugar or fat, all of which are unhealthy when consumed in excess. Processed foods are also typically chemically treated with additives or preservatives to improve their taste, texture or extend their shelf life. An easy way to identify any processed food is to look at its label. If there’s an ingredient list with unrecognizable, complex names, we can say it’s a processed food. “
DISEASES CAUSED BY PROCESSED FOODS
prof. Dr. Onur Yaprak explained 5 diseases caused by processed foods in the body as follows:
OBESITY
It is well known that sugar contributes to obesity and this can subsequently lead to a number of other chronic diseases. Highly processed foods are often loaded with added sugar, but don’t be fooled if the word ‘sugar’ doesn’t really appear on the label. The most common names for sugar substitutes are corn syrup, fructose, glucose, sucrose, and maltose. Sugar consumption triggers a sense of pleasure and cravings in the brain similar to drug addiction. It is recommended to limit added sugars to no more than 10 percent of daily calories. This equates to about 12 teaspoons of sugar per day. If we remember that a soft drink box alone contains about 10 teaspoons, this amount can be taken from even 1 soft drink.
METABOLIC SYNDROME
Processed food consumption is linked to metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that can lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome includes high cholesterol, increased waist circumference, high blood pressure and high fasting blood sugar, and insulin resistance. When refined carbohydrates are consumed in excessive amounts, the sugars are stored in the body as fat, the increased fat leading to insulin resistance.
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
This condition is triggered when the body’s immune system gets out of control and attacks its own cells. There are more than 100 different autoimmune diseases. But the more common ones are type 1 diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. In these diseases, the immune system mixes healthy cells with unhealthy ones and launches an attack on the body it is supposed to protect. It is estimated that 70 percent of your immune system resides in your gut. That’s not surprising when you consider all the environmental toxins circulating through your digestive system. The intestines are lined with a special layer of cells called epithelial cells, whose function is to act as a protective membrane. Intestinal epithelial cells are joined by tight junctions. This in turn strengthens the defense barrier against bacteria, toxins and other harmful antigens. But when these tight junctions are compromised, they weaken the body’s defenses and increase intestinal permeability, allowing harmful antigens to enter the body. This is called ‘leaky gut’.
Studies have shown that 7 common additives, which are abundant in processed foods, increase intestinal permeability and invite autoimmune diseases. The 7 additives identified are glucose, salt, emulsifiers, organic solvents, gluten, microbial transglutaminase and nanoparticles, all commonly used in processed food products. The task of emulsifiers in food is to keep water and oil mixed. They help extend the shelf life of foods and preserve their shape and texture. Emulsifiers are found in almost every processed food product, including cocoa nuts and peanut butter, cakes, salad dressings, pudding.
COLON AND STOMACH CANCER
This time the culprit is nitrates used as preservatives in processed meats. An 18 percent increased risk of colon cancer has been reported in a person consuming 50 grams of processed meat per day. A 5-year study of over 100,000 people found that every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a 12 percent higher risk of cancer.
DEPRESSION
Diets high in processed foods are also linked to increased rates of anxiety and depression. Serotonin is an important mood stabilizer. Chemical additives commonly found in processed foods can interfere with the body’s ability to maintain healthy serotonin levels.”
(DHA)