What Are The Deleterious Effects Of Junk Food?

The eating habits of the generation we live in are ruined to the core. Introduction of multiple food ordering apps, beautiful restaurants, cultures like food blogging on social media and the fear of not missing out on anything that your friends experience or devour on, has lead to a massive glutton appetite of people. We don’t even realize but most of the time, we hardly put anything healthy in our belly for days and days of partying and dining. 

The effects of junk food consumption on health include reduced ability of muscles to turn glucose into energy, insulin resistance, damaged digestive system, and whatnot.

 Effects of junk food

There are multiple reasons in detail that explain why avoiding junk food can be one of the best choices you can make to lead a healthy life. Excessive consumption of junk food is associated with various health conditions and here is the list of some of them.

1. Obesity 

Obesity is the most common health condition associated with junk food. Obesity is an emerging major public health problem across the world, even among children. Obesity is a metabolic disorder which is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the body, resulting from the imbalance between calorie intake and energy expenditure.

How junk food cause obesity? 

Junk food consumption is one of the leading cause of the overweight population. Junk food consists of too much-saturated fat and excessive saturated fat in the body leads to an increase in weight. Foods with high saturated fat have a large number of calories and when the food consumes contains calories more than required by the body, the excess food is converted into fat. 

2. Type 2 Diabetes mellitus 

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder which is characterized by a high glucose level in the blood. Diabetes mellitus is of two types - type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a type in which glucose level rises due to lack of production of the hormone insulin, and type 2 diabetes is a type in which glucose level rises due to the inability of the body to use produced insulin. 

How junk food cause type 2 diabetes? 

Consumption of junk food is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and it is also known as insulin resistance. Junk food does not directly cause diabetes, but it causes many changes in the body that leads to the development of this disease. According to research, young adults having diabetes are often diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and it is primarily due to an unhealthy lifestyle. 

3. Hypertension 

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure is one of the most common problems faced by people these days. It is a serious problem which is sometimes known as a silent killer. Blood pressure is a pressure of the blood on the walls of the arteries. When this pressure becomes high and more than required by the body, it is known as high blood pressure. 

How junk food cause hypertension? 

Junk food has too much salt in it and high sodium level in the body is indicated as a causative factor for high blood pressure. The high sodium level is known to have an impact on the renin-angiotensin system in kidneys which have vasoconstrictive effects on arterioles, leading to the occurrence of high blood pressure.   

4. Impaired cognitive function 

Cognitive function is a mental process that allows us to carry out everyday tasks. The cognitive function basically indicates the ability of an individual to do mental activities such as memory, concentration, and learning. Cognitive function plays an important part in the overall well being of an individual and impaired cognitive function can have a significant impact on the health-related quality of life of an individual. It causes various problems such as lack of concentration and problems with memorizing things. 

Also Read: The Right Food And Activities For Better Cognitive Functioning Of Body

How junk food affects cognitive function? 

Normal functioning of the cognitive system requires the adequate amount of blood flow to the brain and when the circulation of blood to the brain is impaired, it causes problems with the cognitive system. High intake of junk food is largely associated with a decrease in blood circulation due to fat accumulation and lack of essential nutrients.   

5. Cardiovascular disease 

Cardiovascular disease refers to a group of diseases that are related to the heart. The prevalence of heart disease is very high among people throughout the world. In fact, heart disease is one of the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Heart disease occurs due to the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscles. When the supply of oxygen-rich blood is affected, the risk of developing heart disease increases. 

How junk food cause cardiovascular disease? 

The high amount of oxycholesterol present in fried and processed food is one of the most common mechanisms that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Oxycholesterol is a type of cholesterol which can have an adverse impact on heart health. It leads to the deposition of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to the buildup of plaque. Junk food consumption is also associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure which is one of the risk factors for heart disease. 

6. Cancer 

Cancer is a life-threatening disease which occurs when the normal cells in the body become cancerous. Cancer is defined as a condition which is characterized by the abnormal growth of the cells in the body. Cancer is of many types, research suggests that the risk associated with junk food consumption is for all types of cancer, but the risk extremely high for breast and prostate cancer. 

How junk food causes cancer? 

Generally, cancer occurs due to the presence of free radicals in the body that leads to the formation of a tumor. A healthy diet that contains essential nutrients having antioxidant property neutralizes free radicals and prevents the damage caused by them to the cells in membranes. Intake of junk food decreases the consumption of healthy food which causes a lack of nutrients in the body. As a result, free radicals cause damage to the cell membrane and leads to the formation of cancer. 

Tags:  Dangers of Fast Food, Why Is Junk Food Unhealthy, Fact About Junk Food, Fast Food Is Good For Health