PT Health Life- Nowadays, “fast food” foods are becoming more and more popular, “fast food” stores are also springing up a lot, it is suitable for modern, urgent life.
But if you abuse fast food, it will not be beneficial, and may even be harmful to your health.
No one denies the advantages of fast food, but their downsides are easily overlooked. Below are 4 typical consequences that have just been scientifically verified…
1. Reduces intestinal bacteria
Many studies on bacteria living in the human digestive system have been and are being carried out, finding that fast food reduces the bacterial system. Intestinal microflora helps the body absorb nutrients, helps balance mood, boost immunity, and prevent certain diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, or a disease called “leaky gut”. According to professor of epidemiology and genetics Tim Spector at King’s College, London (UK), if you maintain a regular fast food diet, one of the first consequences is a decline in intestinal bacteria. Tim Spector’s conclusion is based on research he conducted with his own son. Tim Spector ate nothing but fast food for 10 days, then was tested for intestinal bacterial activation. As a result, the digestive system not only lost the majority of friendly bacteria, but also lost most bacterial species in general, about 1,400 species suddenly disappeared.
In just 10 days, 1,400 species, accounting for about 40% of the general bacteria in the intestines, disappeared. If time lasts any longer, this microflora will lead to exhaustion, the risk of incurable disease is unavoidable…
2. Increased risk of depression
In recent years, as society develops, the rate of people suffering from depression has increased. There are many reasons, even things that people have not expected, so the effectiveness of treatment is still low. Many recent studies have shown that fast food and some other types of junk food have a significant contribution. According to a study of 8,954 people conducted and recently published by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Granada in Spain, as the amount of fast food increases, the level of depression becomes more severe. Specifically, people who consume fast food have a 51% increased rate of depression compared to the group who do not consume this food. Diagnosed depression often has typical signs such as feelings of boredom, emptiness, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, always feeling tired, not wanting to do anything, insomnia or sleeping too much, angry, always thinking about death, having suicidal thoughts or behavior…
The study also referenced data from other studies, but no one is certain that fast food causes the large correlation between consumption and depression. However, scientists also believe that nutrients that fast food misses (such as omega-3 fatty acids) help regulate mood and the relationship between sugar bacteria and mood… is the culprit that increases depression in the group that eats a lot of this food. From the above research, scientists suggest that instead of taking prescription antidepressants, people living on fast food can switch to fresh, homemade dishes and an extra hour of rest after lunch. has disease-reducing effects.
3. Increased risk of asthma
Currently, about 26 million Americans have asthma, about 7 million of which are children. The factors that cause disease are different for each person, such as exercise, stress, food allergies, air pollution, etc. According to a large-scale study of asthma called the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children (ISAC), scientists looked at the medical histories of 500,000 children in 31 countries. The aim is to find out what makes children and adolescents more susceptible to asthma, and to find a link between fast food and shortness of breath in this food group. Specifically, eating just 3 meals of fast food/week increases the risk of asthma by 27% in children and 39% in adolescents. Not only asthma, but fast food is also considered the only food group that has a negative impact on the human respiratory system.
Although we have not yet “identified” all the causes of disease caused by fast food, scientists believe that saturated fat in fast food is a serious culprit. It causes many negative consequences such as weakening the immune system, increasing allergies and asthma.
4. Increased risk of insulin resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when cells stop absorbing glucose from the bloodstream, at which point the body needs more insulin to maintain its functions well. Insulin resistance is the first sign of developing diabetes, a disease that many people find scary.
In 2005, researchers at the University of Minnesota (UoA) in the US concluded a 15-year study to understand the relationship between fast food and insulin resistance. As a result, eating just two fast food meals a week for 15 years can increase weight by 0.9kg and double insulin resistance. That’s only 2 meals/week, if it’s higher, the level of insulin resistance is even greater. This is the reason why from mid-1980 to 2002, in the US, the number of cases of insulin resistance in adults doubled, and in the 11-18 year old group, this rate increased 10 times.
