Most Common Health Problems Caused by Junk Food

Let’s face it, junk food can be tasty, delicious and rather tempting. No matter how hard you try, sometimes it’s very difficult to resist craving those juicy burgers or wraps! We all know that eating junk food is bad for our health, but do we really know why is it so important to turn to well-balanced diet? No, it’s not only about becoming obese; with those salty, fatty, highly processed meals you can severely damage your health.

Type 2 Diabetes – When we eat junk/fast food, the ability of our body to use insulin in a proper way is affected by the excessive stress exerted on our metabolism. Junk foods lack fiber content and that’s why the result of consuming these unhealthy treats is a spike in sugar levels. Also, an unhealthy diet based primarily on fast and junk food usually leads to obesity which is one of the major contributing factors for insulin resistance, and eventually, development of type 2 diabetes.

Digestive Problems – People addicted to junk food full of (unhealthy) fats commonly suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, gastro esophageal reflux disease and other similar digestive problems. This is because fast food is usually deep fried and the oil soaked in it gets deposited on the stomach lining’s walls, increasing acid production. In addition, spices loaded in these foods, together with the lack of fiber, hampers digestion worsening any gastrointestinal condition and increasing problems like hemorrhoids and constipation.

Cardiovascular Issues – Junk food is loaded with trans and saturated fats that directly increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels in human blood, eventually leading to the formation of plaque and heart disease. Furthermore, fluctuations in blood sugar levels damage the linings of the blood vessels contributing to chronic inflammation. Cholesterol sticks to the walls of the arteries and blocks blood flow to the heart which can lead to a heart attack.

Kidney Failure – One of the reasons why you sometimes just can’t stop eating fries is the high content of finely processed salt in this food. It increases the secretion of enzymes and salivation enhancing our craving these salty foods. Why is it so wrong? High amount of Sodium from salt, together with trans fats, severely disrupts the Sodium-Potassium balance of human body causing hypertension. Finally, kidneys need to filter all the toxins and salts from the blood, so eating a lot of junk food has a negative effect on their function.

Interested in eating healthier foods and having well-balanced diet? You can read more articles on health at Juthan.