What Is Processed Food?

The term 'processed food ' applies to any food that has been altered from its natural state in some way, either for safety reasons or convenience (Eating processed foods, 2014). Processed foods are altered chemically by additives such as flavors, flavor enhancers, colors, fillers, preservatives, stabilizers, and emulsifiers. These inauthentic foods have one common factor; they cost your body a great deal more to digest, assimilate, and eliminate than they offer your body in nutritional value – a poor return on your investment that leaves your body sluggish and depleted of actual value. This concept, in biology, is known as energy output excess nutritional input (Processed Foods | Puristat Digestive Wellness. (n.d.)).
Most processed foods contain sweeteners, many of which are artificial sugar substitutes containing no natural sugars, such as saccharine and aspartame. Aspartame, which is commonly used as an artificial sweetener, is made of three chemicals, Phenylalanine, Aspartic Acid, and Methanol, and Neotame. Aspartame can have a negative effect on your nervous system (brain) so much so that Aspartame is categorized as a Neurotoxin (brain poison) ( Chase, C., 2013). The sweeteners work by blocking receptors on the …show more content…
Although processed foods offer benefits such as convenience and cheaper prices, the negative impacts are much more significant. Inauthentic foods cost your body a great deal more to digest, assimilate, and eliminate than they offer your body in nutritional value. Your body will be left fatty yet depleted in nutrition. Processed materials such as Aspartame, carbonated drinks, and foods high in fats and carbohydrates should be consumed in moderate intakes. Also, meats such as ham and bacon should be eaten moderately and preserved naturally. Moreover, consumptions of such foods or beverages should not be in high amounts as the consequences are lethal to one 's