Processed Foods: Health Issues Seen Around The World

Processed foods in today’s society are a huge contributor to the health issues seen around the world. Processed foods are not only foods such as polony, viennas and other processed meat products that one would expect to be labelled as such, but also almost all foods eaten. Meat is processed from animal to plate, so is fruit and vegetables. Processed foods are one of the most highly consumed food groups nowadays, because they are convenient and they are “hyper rewarding”, causing overconsumption. (Gunnars, 2017). Often, consumers are so busy, that processed foods are the most convenient option for a quick meal. They are often not, however, aware of the dangers present in these foods.
Processed foods contain additives and ingredients which have often been manipulated in such a way to make the product “better” in some way. Processed foods are often high in sugar and High fructose corn syrup (HFCS). (Gunnars, 2017). HFCS is made when an enzyme is added to glucose to make half of the glucose, fructose. (Shewfelt, 2017). Glucose and fructose are both types of sugars. Sugar, when consumed in excess, is extremely harmful to the human body. High sugar intake can lead to insulin resistance, leading to diabetes and higher levels of cholesterol. (Gunnars, …show more content…
Sodium is often hidden in processed foods, as well as sugars or sugar forms (mentioned above). Sodium is added during manufacturing of the food, and is also found in bicarb- which is not often known. (American heart association, 2018). If a consumer was to cut out all chemically processed foods (such as bread, processed meats, and chips), they would cut down on their sodium intake by more than half. Processed foods also contain refined carbohydrates, which are carbohydrates with a high glucose content and little to no fibre. The lack of fibre leads to hunger faster, thus causing the consumer to eat more processed