The food we eat includes nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins that are essential for our health. However, in the past few years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of foods produced by chemicals. Sometimes the food we eat contains chemicals, which we are not aware about and such foods have a negative impact on our health. This can increase the risk of several diseases. Some of the most common chemicals include preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, pesticides and sweeteners. The way food is produced now has significantly changed over the years; however, some of these foods have been associated with adverse effects.
Chemically produced foods can inflict a serious number of health diseases. Listed below are some of the disadvantages we should be aware about.
Increase In The Risk Of Cancer
Preservatives are really important in order to keep our food fresh but one of the health risks associated with it is cancer. Preservatives have food additives such as nitrites, propyl gallate and aspartame. These chemicals do not serve a good purpose as they are used as stabilizers to slow down the natural maturing process. All these chemicals can lead to the development of compounds that might contain cancer.
Allergic Reactions
Some of the most common allergic reactions include skin rashes, weakness, muscle aches, asthma and fatigue. Several researches suggest that there is a direct link between allergic reactions and chemically produced foods. Try to read the label before buying any product in the grocery store; they are commonly known as additives, which include packed juice, bakery items and jam. Moreover, if you are allergic to any food item, you will experience some sort of skin irritation after its consumption. People with sensitive skin will be more prone to eczema and other skin related issues.
Hyperactivity
Benzoate is a type of chemical, which is found in most of the food items. It is usually used to preserve foods and drinks such as pickles, soda and fruit juice. Hyperactivity is one of the side effects associated with this kind of chemical and it is seen to be more common in children than adults. They might want to do several activities at once or jump around from one place to another. Hyperactive children may face difficulty focusing on one thing and it is considered to be more of a problem for the parents than the child itself.
Obesity
Chemically produced food items trigger obesity as they use preservatives to keep food fresh which disrupts your metabolism causing you to gain weight. Preservatives contain fatty acids that have immense potential to affect our metabolic rate especially in processed foods such as cereal, cheese, milk and bread.
It is nearly impossible to consume only unprocessed food items. You can’t completely exclude chemically produced foods from your diet but you can try to reduce them. Do your research, read the labels before you buy any product. Almost all the food items in a grocery store go through some kind of processing, so it’s essential to incorporate fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meat in our daily lives. This will help you make the switch from packaged items to fresh ones.