The debate of health food vs. junk food is not a new one. It’s an age old war! If you think that healthy food had won this race, then you are absolutely wrong. You believe it or not, it’s junk food that has won the race always. Some might not accept that they are taking junk foods. But, the fact is that each and every one of us is linked to junk food in one way or the other. It’s true that some of us are starting our day by eating an apple. But, at the end of the day, most of us would end up eating some extra cheese. Let’s see why these junk foods have taken an important spot in our lives. Just keep reading…
Reasons for loving our Junk Foods:
The first and major reason why these junk foods are loved by people is that they are creating a pleasing experience to our taste buds. Is this possible with our healthy fruits? Do we feel the same pleasure when we eat a cheese burger and a bowl of fruits? No, isn’t it? This is the major reason why people jump to junk foods rather than sticking with the healthy stuff.
Another reason here is that your temptation. The temptation to eat something we like is playing a major part in everyone’s food habits. In this line, it’s quite obvious that junk foods are more tempting than your healthy foods. The third important reason why junk foods are much preferred is the mood. If you could recall the last time you were overly stressed, what kind of food you liked to have? A report shows that the people who are overly stressed are seen craving for the sweet junk foods like chocolates, pastries, and so on.
Now, leave out all the reasons for loving junk foods. Do you ever wonder whether these junk foods do any good to the consumers?
Cost Comparison:
It has been widely spoken that junk foods are less expensive than our nutrient-rich foods. But, the real scenario is different. What we come to say here is that fast foods are not cheaper than your healthy foods as it appears. We would say that it’s just a misconception among people. The actual fact is that your healthy foods can be cheaper than the junk foods.
Foods and Diseases:
As you are already aware, the foods rich in nutrients would help decrease your risks of various diseases. Following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables would help reduce your risks to the health disorders like heart attack, stroke, and much more. Some experts have also said that eating produce on a regular basis could help protect you from some kinds of cancers. The risks of obesity and Type-2 diabetes will also be reduced. Furthermore, one has to note that most of your vegetables would contain fewer amounts of calories when at the same time containing higher amounts of vitamins, minerals, and fiber contents. Thus, they are promising to enhance your overall health.
Remember, your junk foods are just opposite to these aspects by being higher in calories and lower in nutrients. In simple terms, we can say that they don’t do any good to the consumers.
Dangerous Ingredients in your Junk Foods:
Now, you have understood that junk foods are devoid of nutrients. But, wait, the disadvantages of eating junk foods don’t stop here. They often contain some dangerous ingredients that could damage your health. Several of your fast food restaurants and prepackaged foods contain trans-fats. These are the man-made fats that are known to increase bad cholesterol when at the same time decreasing good cholesterol levels. Thus, by consuming junk foods, you are increasing your risks of developing heart diseases and even stroke.
For instance, let’s take your French fries. As these are deep fried in oil, they would contain higher amounts of fat and calories. Thus, they are unhealthy. Another junk food, your burger, will contain higher amounts of sodium. The doctors say that a high-sodium diet would lead to high blood pressure. Also, the foods that are high in sodium would increase your risks of heart and kidney diseases and stroke.
Some other junk foods like your soft drinks would contain increased levels of sugar. The higher levels of sugar are not generally considered as healthy. Moreover, these foods could lead to weight gain when at the same time causing calcium depletion.
Remember, this is not the case with your healthy foods. They would be left in their unprocessed (whole) form and hence, they would rarely contain any processed ingredients that can damage your health. At the same time, the whole foods like whole grains are full of nutrients like the following:

• Protein
• Fiber
• B vitamins
• Antioxidants
• Trace minerals

The Impact of Junk Foods on your Body:
Although the junk foods are offering a convenience factor to the consumers, the impacts of junk foods are not actually desirable. After taking junk foods, you would have a feeling of satisfaction. But, as mentioned earlier, the junk foods are devoid of the essential nutrients. Therefore, all you would get from the junk foods is just the feeling of fullness and nothing else. In addition to this, some people also will have the drowsiness after consumption. The doctors say that this sleepiness is due to the decrease in blood circulation in your body as fat contents get accumulated in the inner lining of the arteries.
As a result, one would encounter several health issues. The common health issue being faced by eating junk foods is the obesity. A report shows that almost 25% of school-going kids in our nation’s capital are either overweight or obese. Also, it has been seen that these junk foods are leading to a lack of concentration and some digestive problems. These are the common problems that are being noted in the regular consumers of junk food.
Therefore, we need to avoid these junk foods as much as possible. Although the junk foods are readily available in the market, we need to limit the consumption keeping in mind the ill effects of taking such foods.