Fast Food Research Summary
The consumer’s infatuation with fast foods is unquestionably
detrimental to one’s health. The portions are oversized, they contain a calorie
count that is equally as large, and they contribute to many health risks. These
foods are high in fat, sodium, additives, and sugar. Three of the concerns, I
have, that are associated with consumption of fast food are increased
inflammation, increased stress on the body, and increased toxicity through ingestion
of harmful chemicals.
Inflammation is simply the body’s immune system
in action. Inflammation as a natural response to infection or injury is the
body’s way of guarding itself from further harm. However, inflammation can be
triggered inappropriately leading to damage and destruction of healthy tissues.
If this inappropriate inflammation becomes chronic it can stimulate the growth
of cancer, asthma, degenerative arthritis, and hardening of the arteries, among
other health issues. Chronic, low-grade inflammation might produce milder
symptoms such as headaches, hay fever, arthritis, and sore muscles. Some of the foods that contribute to this
inappropriate inflammation are added sugars, gluten, hydrogenated oils, and
commercially produced, grain-fed meat. All of these are found in fast foods,
often in excessive amounts. Studies show that those who eat fast food two to
three times a week face a significantly higher risk of developing inappropriate
inflammation.
Stress causes a build up of carbon dioxide and
lactates in the body, which can result in a condition known as “acidosis”,
which is damaging to health. Fast foods, along with other processed foods,
contain synthetic additives such as preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners,
stabilizers, and flavor enhancers. They are also known as pseudostressors or
sympathomimetics. Pseudostressors or
sympathomimetics are foods and/or drinks that act as powerful stimulants to the
body. These include caffeine, white flour, salt, saturated fats, and the
multitudes of other additives, all of which are found in fast food. These foods
add unnecessary stress to our bodies.
Another concern of the consumption of fast foods
comes from the packaging of the foods themselves. The wrappers used in fast
food packaging are often coated with a surface protection treatment and coating
called polyfluoroalkyl
phosphate esters (PAPs) to ensure that the grease does not leak through.
Perfluoroalkyls are a hazardous class of stable,
synthetic chemicals that are known to repel water, oil, and grease. Researchers
have found that these polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters, which are subsequently
biotransformed into perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), are showing up in
human blood, urine, and feces. According to a University of Toronto study, the
exposure to humans through these fast food wrappers should be considered a
significant indirect source of PFCA. Regulators had made the false assumptions
that these chemicals won’t migrate into the food, won’t be available to their
body, and won’t be processed by the body. All of these assumptions have been
found to be wrong. Some of the health dangers of these chemicals are disruption
of the endocrine system and sex hormones, serious changes in the weight of
various organs in the body, infertility, thyroid disease, cancer, immune system
problems, increase in uric acid, and an increase in LDL levels.
These three concerns are certainly not the only
concerns of the detrimental effects of ingesting fast foods. The consumption of
fast foods has shown a direct correlation to the increase of these health
concerns and therefore, in my opinion, must be considered to be significant
health risks associated with fast foods. I feel that increased inflammation,
increased stress, and increased toxicity are three of the reasons why it is
important to seriously reconsider eliminating fast foods from one’s diet.
http://www.childhoodobesity101.com/effects-of-fast-food.html
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/11/08/Food-wrapper-chemicals-may-leach-into-food/UPI-62541289275374/
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