Added sugar: Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods and beverages during processing or preparation. Eating too much added sugar can lead to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay. Common sources of added sugar include sugar-sweetened beverages, candies, pastries, desserts, and sweetened cereals.
Trans fat: trans fatty acids It is a fat that is artificially produced by hydrogenation, a process used to solidify liquid oils and extend the shelf life of processed foods. Trans fats increase the levels of LDL cholesterol (often referred to as “bad” cholesterol) in the blood, while lowering the levels of HDL cholesterol (often referred to as “good” cholesterol), leading to increased risk of heart disease and stroke. , which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. . Trans fats are found in many commercial baked goods, fried foods, margarine, and processed snacks.
Saturated fat: Saturated fat is primarily found in animal products such as fatty meats, skin-on poultry, butter, cheese, and other dairy products. Plant-based sources of saturated fat include coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. consume excessively– Saturated fats can raise the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Artificial sweetener: artificial sweetener An alternative to synthetic sugar that provides sweetness without the calories of sugar. Artificial sweeteners may be beneficial for people trying to reduce caloric intake or manage blood sugar levels, but some research suggests they may have negative effects on gut health, metabolism, and appetite regulation. This suggests that it may give. Common artificial sweeteners include aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, and acesulfame potassium.
Sodium (salt): expensive sodium Ingestion can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. Processed and packaged foods, fast foods, canned soups, salty snacks, and condiments are common sources of excess sodium in your diet. You can reduce your sodium intake and support heart health by choosing a low-sodium menu and cooking more meals at home with fresh ingredients.
Food additives: Food additives are substances added to food to improve flavor, texture, appearance, or shelf life. Although many food additives are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by regulatory agencies, some food additives can have adverse health effects, especially in sensitive individuals. Examples of food additives include artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, and stabilizers.
Highly processed raw materials: Highly processed raw materialsRefined grains, hydrogenated oils, isolated sugars and starches are often used in processed foods to improve texture, taste, and shelf life. However, these ingredients have little nutritional value and, when consumed in excess, can cause weight gain, inflammation, and chronic disease.
Nutritional “dark matter”: Recent advances in our understanding of how diet affects health go beyond the typical 150 key nutrients cataloged in national databases. These ingredients include calories, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, etc. However, this knowledge only covers a fraction of the more than 26,000 different biochemicals found in our food. For example, garlic contains over 2,306 different chemical components, many of which have documented health effects.
This vast chemical diversity in our food has been likened to the “dark matter” of nutrition, as most of these chemicals are not well recognized in research or widely known to the public. You can.