Why You Should Avoid Processed Food

Not eating that bag of chips or drinking that bottle of soda is a difficult temptation to resist, especially if you eat them more than a few times a week. But these are not good for you; they are a storehouse of chemicals, which can wreak havoc on your health.

Here are seven reasons why you should avoid processed food:

1. They are very addictive: When your body digests processed food, it overstimulates the proliferation of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine makes you feel pleasure, which increases your cravings. And, cravings lead to more consumption, thus you get addicted to processed food.
2. Cause damage to your bones and organs: Processed food contains phosphates that not only add taste, shelf-life and texture, but also end up damaging your bones and organs. Phosphates have been linked to premature aging, weak bones and kidney damage.
3. Lead to digestion problems: Processed foods are usually rid of their natural enzymes, fibres and vitamins. This creates severe problems in your digestive system. Consuming such foods harms the good bacteria in your gut, which makes you vulnerable to infections.
4. Can lead to mental degradation: If you find your memory slackening or you're finding it hard to concentrate, then you can blame your diet. Junk food, it has been found, gives you mood swings, makes your energy levels unstable and leaves you feeling angry and agitated.
5. GMOs: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are what replace the 'real' ingredients in processed food. GMOs have been associated with infertility, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer and organ damage.
6. Pesticides: For the GMOs to grow, farmers use herbicides and pesticides, which end up in your food. For example, certain cereals have been found to contain more than 70 types of pesticides.
7. Processed food is artificial: When you compare real food with processed food, the obvious difference would be the way real food deteriorates over time, just like they should, while processed food remains the same. Processed food does not change with time, and proves how synthetic they are essentially. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.