List number 10

There the slices are fried in oil, or more precisely in a mixture of oils for deep frying, which includes a combined “cocktail” of fats, including palm and coconut oil. Such a mixture costs a lot, but once poured in, it can be used for up to 7 days without going rancid.

During this time, acrolein, acrylamide, glycidamide are formed in it — products of fat breakdown and strong carcinogens, that is, substances that cause the appearance of cancerous tumors. By the way, in one portion of french fries, with its relatively low nutritional value for fast food at 273 kcal per 100 grams (that is, approximately 340-390 kcal per “standard” portion), there are about 30 grams of this kind of “reusable” fat. It would seem, well, what are 30 grams?

To visualize this amount, imagine: one tablespoon holds about 15 grams of oil, so it is as if we are sipping an appetizing crispy potato with a couple of spoonfuls of oil with carcinogens. The average daily intake of fats is 90-100 grams, and they, like other nutrients, are contained in one dosage or another in almost all food products.

Doctors are sounding the alarm — and not because, by eating chips and french fries, you will soon be unable to button your favorite jeans. Elevated cholesterol, plaques in blood vessels, atherosclerosis, the danger of heart attacks and strokes, degenerative changes in the liver, deterioration of sexual function in men and, most importantly, the development of cancerous tumors, and not only in the gastrointestinal tract — all these consequences of a commitment to fast food have been observed by scientists in the USA for almost 70 years.

In Russia, the fast-food industry blossomed wildly a little more than 20 years ago, in the post-perestroika period. Today both the “shortage” and the “turbulent 90s” are already behind us — alas, family holidays are still accompanied by a trip to a fast-food restaurant, and an evening of relaxation watching a movie involves a bag of chips tucked under one’s arm.

2. Burgers and hot dogs

The above-described side effects can also be attributed to “quick” sandwiches. However, here, in addition to frying in oil, the situation is complicated by the “meat component.” In order for there to be enough protein for everyone who wants a quick and filling snack, cows, pigs, and fish are bred on an industrial scale using industrial methods. With the use of special compound feeds (sometimes — with anabolics) for rapid weight gain.

By the way, thanks to such meat and fish that have taken up residence in our menu, we become exceedingly resistant to the action of antibiotics when they are really needed. That is, when we are sick. Against this background, the high caloric content of the dish and the same cholesterol seem like mere trifles.

Hot dog

It gets worse. To the highly questionable protein they add ubiquitous soy, glutamate, and a whole spectrum of E-components: preservatives (so that the patty can retain its marketable appearance for years), stabilizers, and synthetic dyes. These additives irritate our digestive system, blunt the feeling of satiety, and make us eat more and more often. The stomach stretches, and already without the help of the “E-numbers” it begins to demand that the feast continue.

It would seem — a bun, a patty, a leaf of lettuce, well, cheese, well, mayonnaise. But, you must agree, a burger made from homemade products does not taste at all like its “restaurant” analogue. After all, in our kitchen arsenal we fortunately do not have those food additives with which the meat mince is stuffed in mass production. And it is precisely they that make us return to the food outlet again and again, hinting that at home it is not as tasty.

3. Sausage range and canned goods

The described “meat nightmares” would also apply to sausages if only natural meat were used in their production. However, the dangers of hidden fat should also be added here. After all, even the most natural product among sausages consists mainly of pork skins and lard. Skin, cartilage, offal and meat remnants, plus 25-30% transgenic soy and, of course, preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, antioxidants, food colorings, flavorings. This is the approximate composition of any sausages, regardless of the variety and brand of the manufacturer.

Canned food, on the other hand, is, in essence, a dead product that has retained its relative nutritional suitability solely thanks to a “solution” of “E-numbers,” acetic acid, sugar and, of course, a huge amount of salt (while a person needs 6-10 grams of sodium chloride per day, just 100 grams of canned food contains on average 15 grams of salt).

4. Instant noodles and mashed potatoes

Beef, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, plus practically spaghetti with almost sauce — that’s how royally the producers of miracle food from packets invite us to have lunch, dinner and breakfast. And this is exactly the case of “free cheese.” Of course, it would be very convenient to pour boiling water over the contents of a plastic cup for 3-5 minutes — and voila! Get what is effectively Italian pasta, fettuccine or risotto. In reality, however, we get a hot (for faster absorption) “mix” of all possible food additives and absolutely zero benefit.

With systematic consumption of such “compound feeds,” the body’s system collapses — it seems to have received food and calories, but they contained too few substances it actually needs for normal functioning. Deprived of nutrition, it soon sends SOS signals to the brain, and we again feel that we want to eat.

It would not be amiss here to recall under which codes on a product’s packaging certain production aids are hidden: preservatives (can cause cancer, kidney stones, liver damage, food allergies, intestinal disorders, oxygen deprivation, blood pressure disorders) – E 200 to 290 and E 1125. Stabilizers and thickeners (cancer, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver) — E 249-252, E 400-476, E 575-585 and E 1404-1450. Emulsifiers (cancer, stomach upset) — E 322-442, E 470-495.

Antioxidants (liver and kidney diseases, allergic reactions) — E300-312 and E320-321. Food colorings (cancer, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys, nervous disorders and allergic reactions) — E 100-180, E 579, E 585. Flavor enhancers (nervous disorders, brain damage) — E 620-637.

In all fairness, it is worth noting: there is a modest list of additives considered harmless and even beneficial to health – if desired, it can easily be found on the internet.

5. Mayonnaise and ketchup

These “magic” sauces, traditionally accompanying most fast food dishes, can turn even the healthiest food into poison. Ketchup, in addition to stabilizers, emulsifiers and preservatives, contains artificial colors and is almost one-fifth sugar. Such a dressing perfectly masks the natural taste of even the most unappetizing, or even simply spoiled, dishes—it’s no wonder they say that “with ketchup you can eat anything.”

Mayonnaise, on the other hand, is a carrier of so-called trans fats—isomers of fatty acids capable of deceiving our body by embedding themselves in cell biomembranes instead of natural omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Trans configurations lead to oncogenesis, atherosclerosis, increase the risk of developing diabetes and, to put it mildly, worsen immunity—they interfere with the work of enzymes standing guard over our body. An additional danger is posed by the plastic packaging into which mayonnaise is often poured in order to save money—the vinegar contained in the sauce has a superpower of sucking carcinogenic substances out of it. Guess where they end up.

6. Chocolate bars, lollipops and chewing candies

Without the risk of developing diabetes, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, dental problems, and allergic reactions, a person can eat a maximum of 50 grams of sugar per day. This upper limit of the norm is about 10 teaspoons. But do not forget that in addition to the “pure” sugar that we put in tea or coffee, glucose and sucrose await us, say, in the same ketchup. Or in yogurt.

And there are plenty of places: just read the composition of familiar products, the subheading in the “carbohydrates” column — and it will become obvious how much we exceed the norm allowed by the WHO (World Health Organization), even without auxiliary materials in the form of chocolates, caramels, and cakes (by the way, the latter are another ideal carrier of trans fats, along with mayonnaise).

These products have the highest glycemic indices, meaning the sugar from them is absorbed almost instantly. At the same time, they contain no useful substances — unlike such glycemic leaders as honey and dried fruits. Moreover, bright lollipops, glazed candies, and chewy marmalades with all possible flavors can hardly even be called “food products” — they are rather a mixture of sweeteners and sugar substitutes, stabilizers, thickeners and gelling agents, emulsifiers, antioxidants, and food colorings.

7. Sweet sodas and juices

By the way, about the daily sugar intake norm — one liter of cola contains about 112 grams of sugar and about 420 calories (while the daily intake for most people fits within 2000-2500 kcal). Add to this caffeine, colorants and orthophosphoric acid, which “leaches” calcium from the body, plus carbon dioxide, which allows the harmful components to be distributed throughout the body even faster.

“Light” sodas are considered more preferable, as they don’t harm the figure. However, at zero calorie content, they contain sugar substitutes — mainly aspartame, which breaks down into formaldehyde (a class A carcinogen), methanol and phenylalanine (toxic in combination with other proteins).

It does not rinse well from saliva, irritates the oral mucosa and again and again provokes thirst – in order to get rid of the cloying aftertaste. And its harmlessness for the figure is highly doubtful – soda contributes to the formation of cellulite, and in the long term, lovers of “light” drinks face metabolic disorders.

Juice

But while no one has any illusions about soda, in general, when it comes to “boxed” juices, for some reason the belief is very strong not only about their harmlessness, but even about their health benefits. However, apart from carbon dioxide, their composition is almost identical to that of sweet sodas. In one glass of orange juice from a carton — about six teaspoons of sugar, in one glass of apple — about seven.

Undoubtedly, apples and oranges themselves contain sugar, but not only — vitamins and dietary fiber become a pleasant bonus, and glucose is no longer absorbed into the blood at such lightning speed. Packaged juices do not have such advantages — reconstituted from concentrate and enviably long-lasting, they can differ in cost depending on the “prominence” of the brand, but they remain just as harmful to health.

8. Popcorn

Corn itself poses no danger to health — yes, it is a carbohydrate, yes, it contains starches, and its calorie content for a plant food is considerable — about 330 kcal per 100 grams of the product. But it contains fiber and a host of other useful substances — vitamins A, C, E, thiamine, niacin, folic acid, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc.

In short, if popcorn were simply roasted corn kernels — it would never make it into the ranking of the most harmful products. But everything changes when they come — oil, salt, sugar, caramelizers, colorants, flavor enhancers, aromatizers. By the way, the dose of salt in classic salted popcorn is so off the charts that no chips could ever dream of it — and this is fraught with, at minimum, increased blood pressure and impaired kidney function. Well, and the nutritional value of popcorn thanks to all sorts of additives increases on average to 500 kcal per 100 grams.

9. Alcohol

Degenerative disorders in the cerebral cortex, destruction of the liver, cancer, genetic mutations — the harm of alcohol to the human body, it would seem, is well known to everyone. People who drink live on average 10-15 years less, and the quality of that life is quite low — in addition to the above-mentioned health problems, they are plagued by mental disorders and depressive states. 1/3 of all suicides (and, incidentally, 50% of accidents) occur while under the influence of alcohol.

Even in very small doses, alcohol interferes with the absorption of vitamins. Moreover, it is very high in calories in itself — 7 kcal per 1 gram (for comparison, the nutritional value of pure proteins and carbohydrates is 4 kcal per 1 gram). And the main danger is that the line between “consumption” and dependence is very blurred, it is easy to cross it without even noticing it.

10. Low-calorie and fat-free products

“Light” cakes, cottage cheese desserts, yogurts, and mayonnaise only seem to be a friend and helper to people watching their figure and cholesterol. In reality, the very reduction of fat content in a product is more than compensated for by an increase in the share of carbohydrates — starches, sugars, and sugar substitutes, whose harms we have already discussed.

Thus, the fascination with “light”-version products specifically promotes obesity — the food additives in them slow down metabolic processes, and sometimes even lead to “carbohydrate breakdowns,” when a body prepared to break down glucose suddenly discovers that it has been slipped some cyclamate or aspartame. The psychological factor also plays no small role here — if a product is “light,” that means you can eat 2-3 times more of it without remorse (and without a feeling of satiety).

Another negative side of a fascination with exclusively fat-free products is vitamin deficiency, because some vitally important vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are fat-soluble. Calcium from fat-free dairy products is also not absorbed.

By the way, regarding “healthy” and “dietetic”: one cup of store-bought yogurt — no matter what brand or with what fillings — contains approximately three spoonfuls of sugar. And also stabilizers, thickeners, antioxidants, and flavorings. Especially dangerous are yogurts “with pieces of live fruit” — for the sake of greater preservation, these very fruits, which one somehow cannot even bring oneself to call “live,” are subjected to sterilization by means of radioactive radiation.

The myths and legends about miracle bacteria that live peacefully in yogurts for half a year and, once finally eaten, bypass the hydrochloric acid environment of the stomach, make it to the intestines, where they begin actively helping the local microflora — are no more than a successful advertising move. Undoubtedly, yogurts with beneficial bacteria exist and can even be found in expensive stores (and even better — made at home yourself), but their shelf life will not exceed three days.

About 900 years ago, the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, who achieved immortality as the author of profound social media statuses, proclaimed as one of the main rules of life the following commandment: “Better to starve than to eat whatever you can get.” Alas, today too many products can be placed in this category of “whatever you can get.” But the human body is not so simple either — there is a great chance that, accustomed to eating relatively “proper” dishes most of the time, it will eliminate the occasional “poison” that enters it on its own and without harm to health. The only thing left is a small matter — to train yourself to eat simple and healthy food, and then “the enemy will not pass.”

Commentary from a dietitian, a doctor of the highest category, candidate of medical sciences, chief specialist of the center for aesthetic medicine

To date, the World Health Organization has identified at least a dozen of the most harmful foods in the world. Why? The first and most important thing is that most of these foods contain so-called trans fats, that is, vegetable fats, which, in order to increase the shelf life of foods and improve taste, undergo special heat treatment and turn into solid fats. These fats are called hydrogenated and have a trans configuration of their chemical structure.

It has been proven that it is trans fats that today are the main culprits of mortality from cardiovascular diseases, since they contribute to an increase in the level of “bad” cholesterol. There are studies that they contribute to obesity, increase the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, breast cancer, reduce the amount of male hormones in members of the stronger sex, and have a number of other negative consequences. In the countries of the European Union, a law has now been established according to which food products are not permitted to contain even traces of trans fats, as they are the most harmful to human life.

In our country, from 1993 to the present, a law remains in force according to which a trans fat content of up to 8% is permitted. That is precisely why our country ranks 153rd in average life expectancy of the population and first in mortality of the male population.

The second most harmful item is sugars and especially sugar substitutes, such as aspartame. Again, in civilized countries many sugar substitutes are categorically prohibited in food products, primarily beverages. Aspartame is a sugar substitute that, according to the results of numerous scientific studies, belongs to products that have a narcotic effect on a specific brain structure, which leads to changes in mental state, a decrease in intelligence levels, impaired memory, and impaired quality of assimilating any information. It has a similar destructive effect on the structure of the liver.

Popcorn

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is a sugar substitute and is 200 times sweeter than it. It has been proven that aspartame can lead to oncological diseases of the liver and brain. Nevertheless, in Russia it is present in many sweet food products (beverages, bars, chewing gum, yogurts, and so on). Prolonged use of aspartame can cause headaches, ringing in the ears, allergies, depression, and insomnia.

Numerous studies have led to the conclusion that aspartame as a sugar substitute does not help with weight loss, but, on the contrary, increases appetite and as a result leads to excess weight. In the body, aspartame breaks down into methanol and two amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanyl. The latter is capable of adversely affecting various parts of the brain and disrupting their function, and disrupting the hormonal balance in the body.

According to the results of leading researchers, aspartame can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. It is especially dangerous for diabetics, as it destabilizes blood sugar levels. In addition to aspartame E951, dangerous food additives include such sugar substitutes as acesulfame K (E950), saccharin, cyclamate (E952), fructose, sorbose (sorbitol or sorbitol), xylitol (E967). Most of these sugar substitutes are a component of virtually all groups of the most harmful products.

All of the listed products lack sufficient and balanced content of vitamins and trace elements – they are “empty,” since they have no nutritional value. They lack complete protein, which has essential amino acids, and the balanced ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates itself. Virtually all harmful products are high-calorie and have a negative impact on the state of metabolic processes.

Instead of food compositions that have nutritional value, these food products contain a large number of various E-compounds, flavor enhancers, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, leavening agents, and stabilizers. This, at best, can cause food allergies and, as we often observe, food intolerance, as well as dermatoses and an asthmatic condition when breathing.

In the worst case, prolonged consumption of these food products can lead to severe toxic damage to the liver and kidneys, and cardiovascular diseases. This happens over time, gradually and imperceptibly.

GMOs: what they are and whether you should fear them

Almost all of the listed “harmful products” contain genetically modified compositions. GMOs are the result of technological progress. They were created with good intentions for the improvement of society — proteins of animal origin are replaced with plant protein, supposedly possessing the same nutritional value and not harming health.

However, over the past 30 years, clinicians have noticed that society has not become healthier, but the incidence, for example, of thyroid gland damage in the world’s population has grown from 4 to 72%. And the number of patients with severe forms of diseases has not decreased either. Exactly how mutation occurs in the genome of products subjected to deliberate modification is not reliably known to anyone. And these transformations can lead to profound changes in personality, the mind, the functioning of the body, and the state of health in general.

It is not without reason that throughout the world GMO products are prohibited for children under 12 years of age, pregnant women, and people with hormonal imbalances. But as part of a marketing move, the presence of genetically modified compositions in food products is most often kept silent.

Now about sodium glutamate — E621. Natural glutamic acid is the main nutrient of our brain, increasing intelligence, treating depression and impotence. At the same time, it is an excitotoxin that destroys brain neurons. That is, it is a mediator that allows the brain to function, but at the same time is also its killer. And it is all just a matter of the quantity of this flavor enhancer consumed over a lifetime by the population of our country.

It would seem paradoxical: the flavor enhancer was discovered by the scientist Kikunae Ikeda, who found the presence of sodium glutamate in dried seaweed. In 1909, the same scientist patented his discovery, which he designated as the “soul of taste.” It was a natural product based on glutamic acid. Since 1950, it began to be added to virtually all food products as a flavor enhancer. At present, industry uses millions of tons of sodium glutamate worldwide and, of course, this is no longer a natural product, but a chemically created one.

In the 1950s, sodium glutamate was used in hotel dispensaries as a psychotropic agent for the treatment of certain mental illnesses. It is important that it not only changes the state of the psyche, but also dulls the sensation of satiety from other, healthy food products, and causes a certain idiosyncrasy toward them, that is, increased sensitivity.

Moreover, an addiction arises to food products containing this additive. Surely everyone has noticed how people, especially children and teenagers, are drawn to various fast foods, which so widely offer their services throughout the world, and how often tasty sausage and restaurant food are.

One could go on listing the “merits” of harmful food products; all of them lack one label on their packaging — exactly the one that is on cigarettes: “this product is dangerous to your health.” Why, then, are they presented on store shelves? First, because they give the population the opportunity to be fed, which is convenient for the state. Second, it is big money. Therefore, forecasts for the future are discouraging — obviously, the listed harmful products will always be sold.