| Ever wonder what’s really in that hamburger | | | | by the University of Hawaii found that those who |
| or what makes those Oreos so scrumptious? | | | | eat large amounts of processed meats such as |
| Chances are that there is a long list of processed | | | | hot dogs and spam have a 67% higher risk of |
| ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. | | | | getting cancer than those who ate little or no |
| Everywhere in the world, processed foods are | | | | processed meats. |
| being sold and consumed by almost everyone. | | | | Over 6000 chemicals are used in processed |
| Little do they know about their hidden dangers. | | | | foods, some of which have unknown or untested |
| Recent studies suggest that processed foods | | | | results and require no government approval, but |
| may be more harmful than anyone ever | | | | go in the category of the Food and Drug |
| expected. As these studies show, processed | | | | Administration’s "Generally Recognized as |
| foods are linked to many common diseases as | | | | Safe" list. For example, reported side effects |
| well as health issues. We need to change our | | | | from monosodium glutamate, a common additive, |
| eating habits and get the processed food industry | | | | are numbness, nausea, headache, and drowsiness, |
| to improve its standards. | | | | and yet, it is "generally recognized as safe." |
| By definition, processed foods are foods that are | | | | Processed foods also contain trans fats that |
| altered from their natural state to enhance their | | | | wreck the good and bad cholesterol balance, |
| qualities. Processed foods were created to | | | | which in turn increases a person’s risk for |
| preserve, texturize, soften, sweeten, and do | | | | heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Because no |
| much more to natural foods. Most processing | | | | one really knows what products have what |
| factories modify their products in those ways by | | | | effects, every time you sit down for a meal, you |
| canning, freezing, and a few other techniques. This | | | | are taking a potential risk. |
| makes processed foods fairly convenient for the | | | | These are a few of the many reasons why we |
| consumer, so convenient, in fact, that, according | | | | need to lessen our consumption of processed |
| to bodyecology.com, 90% of money spent on | | | | foods. Although there are a few healthy |
| food by Americans is on processed foods, but | | | | processed foods such as pasteurized milk or |
| this convenience doesn’t come without | | | | canned vegetables, there are too many chances |
| consequences. | | | | to take with all those unhealthy processed foods. |
| In processed foods, most nutritional value is lost | | | | According to the Washington Post, large |
| and replaced by other chemicals and ingredients | | | | companies such as Hershey’s and General Mills |
| that have little or no nutritional value, which can be | | | | are cutting back on the amount of sugar, trans |
| damaging to your health. For example, according | | | | fat, and high fructose corn syrup in their products, |
| to consumeraffairs.com, high fructose corn syrup | | | | and many other companies are raising the bar for |
| is a common sweetener added to processed | | | | processed food health standards. But we |
| foods and is extremely unhealthy. It increases | | | | can’t just sit around and wait, we need to |
| your triglyceride levels—the level of fat in your | | | | start making healthier choices now. So the next |
| blood—and LDL, the bad type of cholesterol. | | | | time you take a bite out of a hamburger or eat a |
| An average U.S. citizen will consume 68 pounds of | | | | few Oreos, think about what you’re really |
| high fructose corn syrup every year. 68 pounds. | | | | eating and doing to your body. Think about it. |
| A seven-year study conducted on 200,000 people | | | | |