9 Ways Processed Foods Are Slowly Killing People

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Processed foods are bad.

They are the main reason why people all over the world are getting fat and sick.

How do we know?

Every time a population adopts a “Western” diet high in processed foods, they get sick.

It happens within a few years. Their genes don’t change, their food does.

The carbohydrates you find in processed foods are usually refined, “simple” carbohydrates. These lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels and cause negative health effects.

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Real vs. Processed Food

The word “processed” often causes some confusion, so let me clarify what I mean.

Obviously, most foods we eat are processed in some way. Apples are cut from trees, ground beef has been ground in a machine and butter is cream that has been separated from the milk and churned.

But there is a difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing.

If it’s a single ingredient food with no added chemicals, then it doesn’t matter if it’s been ground or put into a jar. It’s still real food.

However … foods that have been chemically processed and made solely from refined ingredients and artificial substances, are what is generally known as “processed food.”

Here are nine ways that processed foods are bad for your health.

1. Processed Foods Are Usually High in Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup

Processed foods are usually loaded with added sugar … or its evil twin, High Fructose Corn Syrup.

It is well known that sugar, when consumed in excess, is seriously harmful.

As we all know, sugar is “empty” calories—it has no essential nutrients, but a large amount of energy.

But empty calories are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the harmful effects of sugar …

Many studies show that sugar can have devastating effects on metabolism that go way beyond its calorie content.

It can lead to insulin resistance, high triglycerides, increased levels of the harmful cholesterol and increased fat accumulation in the liver and abdominal cavity.

Not surprisingly, sugar consumption is strongly associated with some of the world’s leading killers … including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

Most people aren’t putting massive amounts of sugar in their coffee or on top of their cereal, they’re getting it from processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

Bottom Line: Processed foods and beverages are the biggest sources of added sugar (and HFCS) in the diet. Sugar is very unhealthy and can have serious adverse effects on metabolism when consumed in excess.

2. Processed Foods Are “Hyper Rewarding” and Lead to Overconsumption

We all want to eat good food. That’s just human nature.

Evolution provided us with taste buds that are supposed to help us navigate the natural food environment.

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