Eating a poor quality diet high in junk food is linked to an increased risk of obesity, depression, digestive problems, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and premature death. In the short term, fast food affects blood sugar and blood pressure, increases inflammation, and may mean that a person does not get the necessary nutrients. In the long run, a diet rich in fast food could lead to problems with digestion, immunity, inflammation, heart health, obesity, and more. Many fast food products are full of sodium, which acts as a preservative and improves taste.
Many fast foods served are derived from animal products, fried and served with cheese and high-fat dipping sauces. High fat content in fast food can contribute to high cholesterol, which can also lead to atherosclerosis. This happens when plaque builds up in the arteries and blocks blood flow to the heart and organs. In addition, fast food can lower good cholesterol (HDL), putting your heart and health even more at stake. Excess calories from fast foods can lead to weight gain.
Maintaining the right balance of sodium, potassium and water in the blood is crucial to maintaining healthy blood pressure. Eating fast food can raise the level of sodium in the bloodstream to unhealthy levels, forcing the body to retain water in an attempt to restore balance. Eating too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, putting you at risk for heart attack, stroke, and certain types of cancer. If you have no other option but fast food, look for the menu item with the lowest amount of sodium and opt for water, fruit juice or iced tea instead of soda, especially instead of diet soda. The more people who know the fundamental importance of eating healthily and the more they speak out, the greater the effect on transforming the health of everyone in America. Over time, this perpetuates dependence on fast food, and people may not learn to prepare healthy and balanced foods at home. On the contrary, when you eat large portions of meat, eggs or cheese, the amino acid mixture enters the bloodstream faster and, because it is already biologically complete, it stimulates excessive amounts of IGF-1 which again increases the risk of cancer.
Many fast food restaurants are trying to clean up their menus so research their nutritional information and choose the freshest and most natural products you can find. In a recent study women with breast cancer were followed for 10 years and found that those who finished dinner early and had a 13-hour window before breakfast had a 26% reduction in the risk of death or recurrence from breast cancer. Artificial sweeteners in diet soft drinks are linked to several harmful effects including an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Improved detoxification reduction of metabolic wastes aldehydes and AGEs occurs most effectively in the catabolic phase. The large amount of animal protein (including chicken which many incorrectly believe is the healthiest meat) consumed by most Americans promotes excess insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF) which makes a synergistic “sandwich” of insulin and IGF-1 which can accelerate brain aging interfere with detoxification and repair cells and promote cancer. Fast food breaks down quickly causing a rapid rise in blood sugar due to refined carbohydrates and added sugar. These chemicals are often found in fast food wrappers and have been linked to some serious health effects. A recent study documented that only 2.7% of Americans adopt a relatively healthy lifestyle by combining exercise with healthy eating.
In one study people who ate in restaurants they associated as “healthy” still underestimated the amount of calories in their food by 20 percent. While the standard American diet and most traditional diets are grain-based and lack sufficient exposure to the broad spectrum of antioxidants and phytochemicals (with their anti-cancer effects) it is important to note that not all plant-based diets protect cancer in the same way.
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