Processed foods and their effects on health. Find out what to avoid!

As recently as several dozen years ago, natural products constituted the basis of every family’s diet. Cereals and all kinds of pickles and preserves made at home were eaten all year round, and dairy products and meat were bought from small farmers. Fresh fruit and vegetables, except perhaps apples, were only available in summer.

What is processed food?

Today, almost all foods are available year-round, and the dairy and meat found in supermarkets come from industrial-scale mass production. Pasteurization, salting, freezing, and pickling, which are all possible in the household, have been replaced by new technologies – freeze-drying, mechanical shredding, extrusion, sterilization, modified atmosphere packaging, spray drying, infrared radiation, and membrane filtration.

This is accompanied by various additives in the form of sweeteners, salt, artificial flavors, fat, dyes, preservatives, flavor enhancers, etc.

Such processed food looks and smells nice, but is certainly not as healthy as minimally processed food from home or completely natural food. First of all, it contains much less nutritional value – vitamins, minerals, folic acid, fiber, and the accumulation of countless toxins in the body can not remain indifferent to the body.

Processed food – negative effects on health

It is said that the shorter the path of food from the field to our table, the healthier it is. Conversely, the more production processes it undergoes, the worse the effects on our health.

Highly processed food is characterized, on the one hand, by a low content of ingredients important for the proper functioning of the body, on the other hand, by a high level of harmful chemicals, and finally by huge amounts of fat and salt, which certainly do not benefit our health.

The consequences of its frequent consumption are very wide, ranging from various allergies caused by different “enhancers”, to very serious diseases, nowadays called diseases of civilisation , such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and even depression. Particularly dangerous are sweetened drinks with huge amounts of sugar, all fast food, crisps, muesli and processed meat, especially those described as mechanically separated from bones.

Processed foods – examples

• cola and other fizzy drinks and fruit syrups
• crisps and salty snacks
• so-called fruit yogurts, which usually have little in common with fruit
• sweets, bars and muesli
• instant products
• Highly processed meats, mainly sausages
• Ready-made salad dressings
• Powdered cakes and soups
• stock cubes, fixes and liquid seasonings
• ketchups, mayonnaise, sauces, dressings
• margarines, mixes, spreads
• Chinese soups, microwave meals

Unprocessed foods – examples

• 

  vegetables, fruits and herbs from your own garden or locally grown
• groats, oatmeal, wholemeal bread, bran
• legumes
• nuts and seeds bought by weight
• meat directly from the farmer
• free-range eggs
• home-made yoghurt
• cold-pressed oils or healthy coconut oil
• Fresh fish, especially sea fish
• natural honey
• herbal teas, green teas, mineral water

How to eat healthy?

Taking care of a healthy diet is the basis of good condition and well-being. It is also a way to avoid many dangerous diseases. The first, but not the only rule of good nutrition is of course avoiding highly processed products. Apart from that, however, we should remember about eating regular meals and ensuring their diversity. The basis of the diet should be valuable cereal products and an abundance of vegetables and fruits. We should avoid animal fats and excess salt and sugar. Drink plenty of water and from time to time carry out a thorough cleansing of the body.

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