Seven of the Most Dangerous Foods to Good Health

Photo by Caspar Rae on Unsplash

Healthy eating can be a tricky game. We’re told that carbs are bad for us and low fat foods slim us down. Aside from these diversions, the truth is far more complicated, as some foods are associated with serious health concerns.

Here are seven of the worst offenders, which science has suggested increase our odds of developing diseases and ultimately perishing earlier than we should.

1. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE’s) - these are harmful molecules that form during food processing and cooking, especially during high-temperature cooking methods such as broiling, grilling, and frying. They can also be found in canned and frozen foods.

To avoid AGEs, limit your consumption of processed foods, as well as high-temperature cooking methods, such as broiling and frying, and opt for low-heat methods such as steaming, boiling, and stir-frying. It’s also important to add anti-inflammatory foods to the diet, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.

2. Hydrogenated Oils - These oils are treated with hydrogen gas to make them more solid at room temperature. However, this process can create trans fats, which are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

These oils are most commonly found in processed foods such as cookies, crackers, chips, and other snack foods, as well as in some margarines and shortenings.

3. Acrylamide is a chemical that forms when foods containing carbohydrates, such as potatoes and grains, are cooked at high temperatures. It has been linked to cancer and reproductive effects in laboratory animals, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified acrylamide as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The chemical has also been linked to nerve damage, reproductive problems, and other health issues.

Watch for it in a variety of foods, including potato chips, French fries, breads, breakfast cereals, and coffee.

4. Sugar - a type of carbohydrate that also occurs naturally in many fruits, vegetables, and grains. It’s also made from sugar cane or sugar beets and is commonly used in cooking and baking, as well as added to many processed foods and drinks to enhance flavor.

Consuming too much sugar can lead to various health risks, including weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood sugar and cholesterol, tooth decay, cancer, and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

5. Glyphosate - this is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant widely used in agriculture and lawn care. It is the active ingredient in many popular weed killers, such as Roundup, Rodeo, and AquaStar.

Glyphosate is a pre-harvest drying agent commonly used on crops such as wheat, oats, barley, and soybeans. This means it can be found in many processed foods, including breakfast cereals, breads, snack bars, energy drinks, and infant formulas. Glyphosate is also used to desiccate many grains, such as wheat, oats, and barley, before harvest, which means it can be found in grain-based products like breads and pastas.

This chemical is classified as a probable human carcinogen, meaning it could cause cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, kidney and liver damage, neurological issues and also potentially alter your microbiome.

6. Seed Oils - processed seed oils are highly refined and can be harmful to health. The process of extracting oil from seeds involves the use of heat and solvents, such as hexane, which can introduce chemical additives and unstable molecules into the oil. This can turn the polyunsaturated fats in seed oils into harmful trans fats. They are also high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause inflammation in the body.

The most common seed oils include canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, and safflower oil. Other refined oils to avoid include vegetable oil, soybean oil, safflower and corn oil. Most commonly they’re found in processed foods such as cookies, salad dressings, crackers, chips, candy, vegetable puffs, granola bars, and nut milks.

7. Ketchup - this food contains high fructose corn syrup, which can lead to fatty liver and insulin resistance. It also has corn syrup, modified corn starch (MSG), and soy oil. While ketchup is made from tomatoes - a good source of lycopene - the processing of tomatoes into ketchup can reduce the amount of lycopene present in the final product.

Ketchup is a condiment that is often used as a topping for comfort foods like hamburgers, hotdogs, and french fries.