Free Custom «Avoid the 4’S» Essay Paper

The diets that we do choose have grave impacts on our health and well being. Food that we take may, in one way or another, affect us either positively or negatively. Research has proven that the sweetest foods have the most harmful impact on our health. Most people do fall in this category of sugary foods. It is wise to watch carefully our diets especially when it comes to sugar, salt, starch and saturated fat.

Sugar is a beverage sweetener. High Fructose Cone syrup is made from corn. It is part of a group of corn syrups that are passed through enzymatic processing in order to change some of its glucose into fructose. It is used in many beverages and foods in place of sugar, because it is cheaper than natural sugar. In the early 1980s it was used as a sweetener and was also an ingredient of Coca- Cola until some studies linked HFCS to obesity. This syrup is highly consumed in the United States of America. Since the HFCS is a form of added sugar, consumers should be watchful of all the sugar they consume. Obesity is caused by highly processed glucose. This is being considered more harmful to the human body than the regular sugar. It contributes to the high weight that is gained when it interferes with ones normal appetite and leads to abnormal desire to eat more. HFCS are also known to be sources of a form of mercury that appear under neurotoxin which is harmful to human life. Practicing the best diet should always be encouraged as our health is more important than the food we take.

 

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Salt is composed primarily of sodium chloride, a chemical compound that belongs to a large class of ironic salts. It is necessary for animal life in small amounts, but is harmful to plants and animals, when it is used in large amounts. It can be added for food seasoning or preservation. Salt is necessary because it helps control the water level in the body. Sodium iron can be used for electrical signaling in the nervous system.

Too much intake of salt over a long period of time is said to be the cause of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Cardiovascular system includes the cardiac, vascular bits of the brain and kidney and peripheral arteries. Cardiovascular disease involves the heart or blood vessels. Atherosclerosis and hypertension are the most popular causes of cardiovascular disease. Such condition can develop as a direct result of the accumulated fatty materials like cholesterol. Therefore, the artery wall becomes thicker. It is a syndrome that affects arterial blood vessels.

Hypertension, on the other hand, is a dangerous medical condition when blood pressure in arteries becomes high. This makes the heart work at extremely high rate in order to meet the blood demand of all the body parts. Blood pressure could either be summarized as systolic or diastolic, whereby depends on whether the heart muscle is contracting or relaxed. Hypertension could be classified as either primary or secondary. Hypertension could be a major risk factor of stroke, heart attacks, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. It is, therefore, wise for individuals to watch the levels of salt intake.

Studies have gone further to prove beyond doubt that high intake of salt promotes left ventricular hypertrophy. Taking excess salt (sodium) with less water intake could lead to hypernatremia. This can exacerbate the renal disease. Stomach cancer is one more condition associated with high levels of sodium intake. Sodium is one of the major primary electrolytes of the body.

Saturated fats (transfats) are gained from many animal products namely meat, eggs and dairy. They are also gained from plant sources like palm kernel oils, palm and coconut. These are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats raise bad cholesterol levels directly. Transfats are not saturated and raise bad cholesterol levels whereas interfering with the required cholesterol levels. Transfats are used to lengthen shelf life of manufactured and processed foods like cakes and fries. A transfat can cause Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and even infertility. Saturated fats are known to be the greatest contributor to high blood cholesterol.

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Starch refers to refined carbohydrates. This can be found in white rice, white flour, white potato and etc.. These foods are devoid of fiber that slows down sugars absorption. This raises glucose level in blood. These processed foods are low in nutrients, hence leading to diabetes, cancer and excessive secretion of insulin. High levels of insulin in the blood could promote high growth of cancerous cells in part by coming in contact with the reception of insulin, like growth factor. The fact that these foods increase the level of insulin in the blood means that they reduce the rate at which glucose is absorbed in the blood system. This, eventually, leads to the increase of glucose levels in blood, hence - diabetes. Diabetics have a 30% chance of developing colorectal cancer, 20 % chance of developing breast cancer, 82% chance of developing pancreatic cancer, than non-diabetics.

Researchers, nutritionists and medical practitioners advice on the careful scrutiny of the consumables. The detailed explanation of the harmful effects of sugar, salt, starch and saturated fat should be an eye opener for everyone. We should, therefore, watch the amount of these foods that we take for a healthy living.