The Cost of Junk Foods

The main objective of this article is to highlight the risks associated with eating junk food. Junk foods may be convenient and may be even tasty, but there is a price to pay for it. For the purposes of this article, “Junk” food is defined as any food generally mass-produced on a production line that has an intended trade name and a date of expiry.  This includes everything from bakery products to fast food to packaged foods sold in stores to foods served in most restaurants. In all of these cases, man-made chemicals have been added these days to improve some aspect of the food. 

The synthetic chemical ingredients used in commercially available food products, include preservatives, colouring agents, thickeners, adjuvants, food conditioning processes,  emulsifiers, and flavouring agents. All of these additives to food have a detrimental effect on the hundreds of biochemical processes that take place in our liver. These chemicals will seriously compromise the functions of our liver, and would push us to diverse types of major health issues.

Synthetic Food Additives Are Petroleum Derivatives

The popular ‘Natural’ fragrances and flavours are used not only in foods, they are also added to cleaners, cosmetics, drugs, and skin care items. They are never even intended to be eaten. “Of the over 3,000 additives for foods, half are synthetic flavourings. The majority of flavourings, dyes, and the so-called preservatives are manufactured from petroleum. Their contents are legally protected as” trade secrets”. (Quoted from the “The Rife Handbook”, written by Dr.Nenah Sylver). 

Here are some more quotes:  [quote] The secretes (as defined by FDA) and the ingredients of flavours and fragrances do not have to be specifically listed”, says an FDA consumer article. Even if the label reads “contains natural flavours”, the flavours are legally allowed to be adulterated or comprised entirely of synthetic chemicals.  Synthetic fragrances can consist of up to 5,000 hydrocarbons derived from petroleum or natural gases, and as many as 200 other ingredients, which instead of being listed separately can simply state “fragrance”. Petroleum, natural gas, and their derivates are not compatible with living systems, but food companies try hard to convince the public that fake foods are innovations rather than atrocities…[unquote].  

Heart and immune system disorders are induced by synthetic food flavourings and fragrances. Allergies, stomach problems, harm to the central nervous system, respiratory system, liver, and kidneys are among the other maladies. Let us remember this when we buy ‘vanilla flavoured’ ice-creme from the shop. A great deal of information is concealed beneath the term “flavour.”

Artificial preservatives are proven to be cancer-promoting. Two synthetic chemicals, namely, BHA (butylated hydroxy anisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxy toluene) are commonly added to oils to delay its deterioration. These materials are found to damage the liver, kidneys and nervous system. Sodium nitrate and nitrite are often added to meat to prevent bacterial growth. Not only that, these chemicals impart a pink colour to the meat, making the consumers believe that the product is fresh.  In our stomach, these chemicals transform into ‘nitorsamine’. They cause intestinal distress as well neurological issues. 

“Would we fill Kerosene to your car instead of Petrol?” Why not?  Our human body is infinitely sophisticated and far superior compared to a car. Yet, we have no hesitation to put junk  foods containing synthetic ingredients into our stomach, for convenience and momentary pleasing of our tongue.  

Untold Story of Refined Flours

“Maida” or ‘All Purpose Flour’ is widely used in a diverse range of foods today. Here are the names of some popular foods made from Maida. 

• Samosa
• Gulab Jamoon
• Pizza
• Donuts
• Naan
• Cake
• Cutlets
• Zucchini fritters
• Pancakes
• Spring Rolls
• Chole Bhatture
• Bread
• Momos
• Vada Pav
• Jalebi
• Mysore Bonda
• Biscuits
• Parotta
• Rumali Rotti

Maida is made by refining wheat flour. One example of food “refining” is converting whole wheat into white bread. ‘Refining’ of the whole wheat starts with the removal of the bran and germ from the wheat grain, which will leave it only with the starchy endosperm kernel devoid of all its nutrients. Commercial flour mills use different bleaching agents to do this. These include chlorine, benzoyl peroxide, potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide or nitrous oxide mixed with various chemical salts so that the product looks very white. When these chemicals react with whatever proteins left in the remaining grain, a substance called ‘alloxine’, is formed which is a deadly poison.  Alloxine created diabetes in the research animals in the laboratory, by promoting the growth of free radicals in the beta cells of the pancreas, which in turn stops the insulin production. If artificial sweeteners like ‘aspartame’ are added to the “refined”  wheat flour in the production of any subsequent food, it damages the mitochondria (energy production centres of the cell) of the consumer.    

Ajinomoto: the Flavour Enhancer that Can Kill 

One chemical product commonly used in most restaurants all over the world is Ajinomoto or MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). MSG is a flavour enhancer in foods. MSG is a flavour strengthening agent that is usually added to canned vegetables, soups, meats, and restaurant foods to impart a rich flavour.

MSG causes abnormal blood pressure, muscle and joint pains, gastrointestinal and respiratory difficulties. Most importantly, it is a neurotoxin, it impairs the brain and nervous system. The Glutamate component forces open the brain-blood barrier, allowing the harmful contents of the blood to enter the brain!

MSG   could be very well present in prepackaged and frozen meals, processed meats, canned fish, Soups and Stews, Chips, breads, crackers, Gravy, Salad dressing, and in most fast foods. They can also be present in soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics. MSG may be hidden behind the words “hydrolyzed” or “amino acids”. Manufacturers have known for over five decades that MSG’s effect on the brain makes it addicting. They purposely add MSG to make people repeat buy their product.

Hydrogenated FATS

Commercially produced vegetable oils are made after undergoing a process called. “Hydrogenation”. Hydrogenation involves the manipulation of the oil’s molecular structure. As a result of hydrogenation, the oil becomes saturated with hydrogen gas, hence the name “saturated fats” or “trans fats”. Our stomach will not recognize “saturated fats” or “trans fats” as ‘food’ and will not break down it. Because of the accumulation of trans fats, our cell membranes become stiffer and would not readily expel the waste products from the cell, nor would it easily absorb nutrients into the cell.   Further, hydrogenation destroys all essential fatty acids present in the oil.  Hydrogenated fats create free radicals, where atoms on the outer shell have only few electrons. This makes the oil more stable, but our body becomes filled with waste products with consequential serious health issues. 

The purpose of hydrogenation is to raise the burning temperature of fats. This makes it more desirable for baking. It also extends the shelf life of the oil, makes it unlikely to get spoiled, or support the growth of moulds, or attract flies or rats.  This is because, the process of hydrogenation removes all nutrients, and nothing wants to live on it, except probably for unsuspecting humans. 

Knowing and Caring for our LIVER  

We frequently consume these Junk Foods for the sake of convenience, and “taste,” or for both. But, to understand the harm they do to our Liver, we need to understand the importance of our Liver in our life. 

How important our liver is for our health and wellbeing is not much appreciated by most of us. Our Liver is a chemical factory in our body. It performs more than 500 essential tasks. The liver is essential to many bodily metabolic functions. Some major functions of our liver are given below:

• The liver breaks down fat cells during the fat metabolism. When the fat-metabolism is not happening in the liver, overweight results.
• In the metabolism of carbohydrates, the liver makes sure that the level of sugar in your blood is maintained constantly. 
• It plays an essential role in the metabolism of proteins.
• Our Liver cells secrete most of the plasma proteins found in blood plasma, using amino acids from the digested foodAmino acids are building blocks of proteins. The Liver 

regulates their production.

• Our Liver stores glucose and releases when there is a requirement for it.
• Bile is required for the breaking down of fats in the digestive processes. Furthermore, some wastes are removed using bile. Bile is produced by the LIVER. 
• Our liver is responsible for producing enzymes and 

chemicals that help the blood to clot. 

• Our Liver makes cholesterol for building our cells and hormones. 
• Our Liver serves as an endocrine organ by secreting hormones with various biologic functions. These include production of angiotensinogen (for regulating the blood pressure), hepcidin (controls iron content), insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2 (for regulating growth, metabolism, and ageing), and thrombopoietin (for stimulating platelet production which helps in blood clotting).  It is the Liver that processes hemoglobin for use of its iron content.
• Our Liver facilitates immune actions in eliminating bacteria and harmful pathogens. 
• Our Liver Stores Vitamins and Minerals such as Vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12 & minerals iron and copper.

• During digestion, when proteins in the food break down, they release toxins like ammonia. It is our Liver that converts Ammonia into a harmless byproduct called urea, which passes out of the system through the kidneys. 
• All the blood, leaving the stomach and intestines, passes through the liver. Our Liver has the important detoxification function of removing a number of harmful or excess substances from the blood flowing through it.

The list of the functions of our Liver is extensive. But only a few of the major ones are listed above. All these functions will be upset, if we do not take care of our LIVER. Today, “fatty” lever is a very common health-issue for us. There are two types of “fatty liver” diseases, namely “Alcoholic Fatty Liver (AFLD)” and “Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFLD)”. Estimates indicate that, 38% of the adult population is today afflicted by NAFLD, with different degrees of severity. It is alarming to note that even teens and pre-teens are also getting NAFLD. Other than genetics, factors believed to trigger NAFLD are Food, Medications, Lifestyle, and Environmental pollution. This article focuses on the culprits in foods that hastens the formation of NAFLD.

The high temperature of the commercial kitchens, and their reusing of vegetable oils, will structurally change the oil. Oils kept at 215 degree C for 15 minutes or more consistently, and fed to experimental animals at the research laboratories, caused atherosclerosis in them.  Overheated and reused oils in the food hamper the liver. The human body is a huge biochemical factory. The chemical formula of naturally occurring biochemical compounds and factory made chemical substances may be the same in the textbooks, but their molecular structure is different. 

We have only 23 pairs of chromosomes with roughly 20K genes. The entire bacterial genome in the human gut has another some 20 lakh genes. Together, these genomes hold the blueprint for the metabolic activities involved in digestion of the natural chemicals found in the food.   Our gut is our second brain.  For all cellular activities, they need data from the genomes. It is these massive depository of genomes that hold the data for all cellular activities. They don’t hold the data for processing factory made chemicals. Already due to pesticides and other pollutants in the food (notably the growth hormones in animal feeds) our liver is severely compromised. 

All these will seriously endanger our liver functions.  Chemical contaminants in the Junk foods seriously affect the fine balancing required for the optimum functioning of all biochemical actions in the body.   In the absence of the precise level of alkalinity of the blood, and the water content of the body (both intracellular and extracellular), these gut bacteria (with its massive quantity of data containing genomes) cannot thrive. 

Eating natural food is crucial in keeping the pH of the body. Today’s food and drinks mostly keep us acidic. That is another major problem. Eat as much homemade natural food as possible.  

Some Suggestions for a Healthy Liver

• Avoid deep-fried foods. If unavoidable, consume only those with Golden Yellow colours.

• Avoid any food made in a commercial production plant bearing an expiry date. As far as possible, consume only homemade food.
• According to a recent study, consuming 20% or more of daily food intake from fast food sources can increase the risk for Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The risks for developing Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may be highest for people with obesity or diabetes, the research says. The risk could be higher in the case of children
• Even if we consume healthy diets, irregular meal timings can be an indirect contributor to ill health. Increased food craving is a sign of liver misbehaviour. Food craving doesn’t follow a timing rhythm.
• According to a study conducted in Japan, Fructose consumption (sugar contained in fruits) is inked to the increase in liver disease among adolescents and children. Regular dietary fructose intake may increase serum uric acid concentrations, and that both uric acid concentration and fructose consumption may be increased in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Fructose is a simple sugar that is naturally found in fruits, vegetables and some natural sweeteners. We can also find fructose sold as a sweetener on supermarket shelves or added to foods in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Honey is a fructose containing food.
• Sugar is “white poison”. If a sweetener is required daily, consider using only organic “Stevia”. Educate the children about the dangers of ‘sugar’.  
• Our body contains millions of bacteria. They live in different locations in our body which include mouth, skin, under nails, urinary track, Gastrointestinal track and so on. Some of them are harmful, while some are beneficial to us. The role of good bacteria is essential for our survival. They carry out several crucial activities for our good health. Interestingly, in our body bacterial population, 85% are good, while only 15% are harmful and deadly. The friendly diversified bacteria – around 100 trillion in us – help in digestion, fighting against many harmful bacteria, help immune system, help nutritional absorption etc. Include the following in our food: Homemade Indian curd,  butter milk, Indian pickles, fermented Soybean Nato (traditional Japanese dish made from fermented Soybeans) and Indian conventional foods like Dosa, Idli, ocean-based plants such as spirulina, chlorella, and blue-green algae etc., are some good sources of Good bacteria.

How to use this information?

We need knowledge in the first place, and then we need the willpower to put that knowledge into practice. The information contained in this article is available on the public domain. Also given are certain references for further reading. It is up to the reader to decide what to do with this information. However, remember, we will have to pay for our bad food choices that we make. Furthermore, let us keep in mind that we will be alone in our sufferings.

References

Dr Sylver Nenah PhD, “The Rife Hand Book”, (2021) Desert Gate Productions, Arizona, US

Health+Scan e-magazine, (Various volumes) Editor-in-chief : Prof. V Sudhakara Rao, PhD, Asst-Editor: V Vivek Chandra,

Chennai)