| Every day, 7 percent of the U.S. population visits a | | | | "Probably the single fastest way to reduce strokes in |
| McDonald's, and 20-25 percent eat fast food of some | | | | this country is to halve the amount of salt that's added |
| kind, says Steven Gortmaker, professor of society, | | | | to processed food," says Tim Lang, professor of food |
| human development, and health at the Harvard School | | | | policy at the City University, London. Cancer A |
| of Public Health. As for children, 30 percent between | | | | seven-year study of close to 200,000 people by the |
| the ages of 4 and 19 eat fast food on any given day. | | | | University of Hawaii found that people who ate the |
| But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Americans get | | | | most processed meats (hot dogs, sausage) had a 67 |
| processed food not only from fast-food restaurants | | | | percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those |
| but also from their neighborhood grocery stores. As it | | | | who ate little or no meat products. A Canadian study |
| stands, about 90 percent of the money that | | | | of over 400 men aged 50 to 80 found similar results. |
| Americans spend on food is used to buy--that's | | | | Men whose eating habits fell into the "processed" |
| right--processed foods. Think about it ... if it comes in a | | | | pattern (processed meats, red meat, organ meats, |
| box, can, bag or carton, it's processed. The fact that | | | | refined grains, vegetable oils and soft drinks) had a |
| these foods are so readily available, and, often, of such | | | | significantly higher risk of prostate cancer than men in |
| poor quality, has led some, like associate professor of | | | | the other groups. Men who ate the most processed |
| pediatrics at Harvard David Ludwig, to say that they're | | | | foods had a 2.5-fold increased prostate cancer risk. |
| actually discouraging healthy eating and leading to a | | | | Yet another study published in the journal Cancer |
| "toxic environment." "There's the incessant advertising | | | | Epidemiology, Mile Markers, and Prevention found that |
| and marketing of the poorest quality foods imaginable. | | | | refined carbohydrates like white flour, sugar and high |
| To address this epidemic, you'd want to make healthful | | | | fructose corn syrup is also linked to cancer. The study |
| foods widely available, inexpensive, and convenient, | | | | of more than 1,800 women in Mexico found that those |
| and unhealthful foods relatively less so. Instead, we've | | | | who got 57 percent or more of their total energy |
| done the opposite," says Ludwig. Processed foods | | | | intake from refined carbohydrates had a 220 percent |
| have, indeed, been implicated in a host of chronic | | | | higher risk of breast cancer than women who ate |
| diseases and health conditions that are currently | | | | more balanced diets. Acrylamide, a carcinogenic |
| plaguing the nation. What follows is just a taste of the | | | | substance that forms when foods are heated at high |
| risks processed foods may present to your health. | | | | temperatures, such as during baking or frying, is also a |
| Obesity The World Health Organization (WHO) says | | | | concern. Processed foods like French fries and potato |
| processed foods are to blame for the sharp rise in | | | | chips have shown elevated levels of the substance, |
| obesity (and chronic disease) seen around the world. In | | | | according to the Center for Science in the Public |
| one study by Ludwig and colleagues, children who ate | | | | Interest (CSPI). "I estimate that acrylamide causes |
| processed fast foods in a restaurant ate 126 more | | | | several thousand cancers per year in Americans," said |
| calories than on days they did not. Over the course of | | | | Clark University research professor Dale Hattis. Food |
| a year, this could translate into 13 pounds of weight | | | | Additives: Unknown Effects The Food and Drug |
| gain just from fast food. "The food industry would love | | | | Administration (FDA) maintains a list of over 3,000 |
| to explain obesity as a problem of personal | | | | chemicals that are added to the processed food |
| responsibility, since it takes the onus off them for | | | | supply. These compounds do various things to food: |
| marketing fast food, soft drinks, and other high-calorie, | | | | add color, stabilize, texturize, preserve, sweeten, |
| low-quality products," Ludwig says. However, "When | | | | thicken, add flavor, soften, emulsify and more. Some of |
| you have calories that are incredibly cheap, in a culture | | | | these additives have never been tested for |
| where 'bigger is better,' that's a dangerous | | | | safety--and require no government approval--but |
| combination," says Walter Willett, M.D., D.P.H., professor | | | | instead belong to the FDA's "Generally Recognized as |
| of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of | | | | Safe" (GRAS) list. An item is "safe," as defined by |
| Public Health. Diabetes "In the last 50 years, the extent | | | | Congress, if there is "reasonable certainty that no |
| of processing has increased so much that prepared | | | | harm will result from use of an additive." Some |
| breakfast cereals--even without added sugar--act | | | | compounds that are known to be toxic to humans or |
| exactly like sugar itself ... As far as our hormones and | | | | animals are also allowed, though at the level of 1/100th |
| metabolism are concerned, there's no difference | | | | of the amount that is considered harmful. Potential side |
| between a bowl of unsweetened corn flakes and a | | | | effects from the additives vary, and are controversial. |
| bowl of table sugar. Starch is 100-percent glucose | | | | For just one common food additive, monosodium |
| [table sugar is half glucose, half fructose] and our | | | | glutamate (MSG), for example, the following symptoms |
| bodies can digest it into sugar instantly," says Ludwig. | | | | have been reported: Numbness Burning sensation |
| "We are not adapted to handle fast-acting | | | | Tingling Facial pressure or tightness Chest pain |
| carbohydrates. Glucose is the gold standard of energy | | | | Headache Nausea Rapid heartbeat Drowsiness |
| metabolism. The brain is exquisitely dependent on | | | | Weakness Difficulty breathing for asthmatics As is the |
| having a continuous supply of glucose: too low a | | | | case with most food additives, some people have no |
| glucose level poses an immediate threat to survival. | | | | side effects, but others may become ill.This article was |
| [But] too high a level causes damage to tissues, as | | | | provided by the world's #1 most popular and trusted |
| with diabetes," he continued. Heart Disease Many | | | | holistic living e-newsletter -- FREE to you right now at |
| processed foods contain trans fatty acids (TFA), a | | | | The old way of thinking: "holistic living" pertains only to |
| dangerous type of fat. According to the American | | | | personal health. The new way of thinking: "holistic living" |
| Heart Association, "TFAs tend to raise LDL ("bad") | | | | means prevention of the negative and adherence to |
| cholesterol and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol ... These | | | | the positive in all SIX practical areas of life: relationships, |
| changes may increase the risk of heart disease." | | | | finances, career, home environment, safety and health. |
| Further, most processed foods are extremely high in | | | | With the e-newsletter, you will get holistic wisdom from |
| salt, another blow to the heart. One-half cup of | | | | the world's top experts in all six of these areas -- |
| Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, for instance, has 37 | | | | completely FREE with a simple sign-up (and a |
| percent of the daily-recommended amount of sodium. | | | | guaranteed no-spam policy! |