Good Lifestyle

When it comes to your diet , most doctors agree: you should load whole foods that balance complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, lean proteins, fibers and vitamins and minerals. On your plate, this results in many fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, cereals and lean meats, fish and dairy products. But what happens if you offer you a fast food, once a week?

Experts say that it is not only the ingredients of your food that counts, but also how they are prepared. The highly processed meals found in fast food restaurants are known to wrap in additional sodium, sugar, saturated fats and additives, which can all have wreaked to your health over time. In fact, the Centers for disaster control and prevention (CDC) notes that restoring excessive fast food is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other serious health risks. Despite this, one in three Americans eats fast food every day, according to an investigation by the Health Authority.

Obviously, eating fast food once a week has less risks, but that does not mean that there are no consequences. This is why experts say that there are potentially serious health risks associated with fast food at a rarer but always regular rate.

Read this then: What happens to your body if you stop drinking caffeine, according to experts .

Even if you eat only one fast food meal every week, you may notice digestive discomfort afterwards. In fact, rarely eating fast food can mean that you are more sensitive to the effects of highly processed foods.

"Fast food is often low in dietary fiber, which plays a vital role in maintaining healthy digestion," said Trista Best , MPH, RD, LD, dietitian and consultant registered with Balance an supplements . "The fibers add volume to the stool, like regular stools and support the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. The lack of fiber in fast food can cause constipation and irregularity."

Another immediate consequence of eating fast food once a week is that you can notice gas or bloating after finishing your meal.

"Fast food is generally rich in unhealthy fats, refined carbohydrates and artificial additives, which can disturb the balance of intestinal bacteria. This unbalanced, known as dysbiosis, can cause digestive problems such as gas, bloating And discomfort, "said Best.

Since fast food meals often contain large quantities of refined carbohydrates, added sugars and sugary drinks, eating fast food is associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes.

Although you are not going to develop diabetes overnight by eating a fast food meal, Meaghan Greenwood , RD, dietitian and health coach working with Hourglass , warns that a single fast food help can "cause fast peaks in blood sugar, putting pressure on the pancreas to produce insulin".

"Over time, repeated blood sugar spikes can contribute to insulin resistance, which is a precursor of type 2 diabetes," she adds.

This can also cause immediate problems to anyone who is already considered diabetic or prediabetic. Respecting a Healthy food plan And by preparing your meals at home, you can help limit your risk of unexpected blood sugar.

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Usually your Blood pressure drops slightly After consuming a meal, reports the news TODAY. In fact, about a third of the elderly experience notable tests postprandial hypotension , striking their lowest blood pressure in the lowest in the 30 to 60 minutes after a meal. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

However, when you eat a salty fast food meal, your blood pressure can rather increase, explains Greenwood. Over time, this can be a problem.

"Constant consumption of high levels of sodium can combat the cardiovascular system and increase the risk of hypertension, heart disease and stroke," notes the dietician.

In fact, a 2012 study published in the journal Traffic found this eat fast food Once a week, increased the risk of participants to die of 20%coronary disease compared to those who abstained. And the more fast food participants ate, the more their risk increased: those who ate fast food four times a week were 80% more likely to die of the same condition, compared to the control group.

According to a January 2023 study conducted by Keck Medicine of USC, people who eat at least 20% of their calories from fast food are at risk of developing Non -alcoholic liver basic , a dangerous condition in which fat accumulates in the liver.

"Healthy livers contain a small amount of fat, generally less than 5%, and even a moderate increase in fat can lead to a non -alcoholic hepatic disease", " Ani Kardashian , MD, hepatologist at Keck Medicine and the main study, said through the press release. "The severe increase in liver fat in people with obesity or diabetes is particularly striking, and probably due to the fact that these conditions cause greater fat sensitivity to accumulate in the liver."

For the purposes of the study, researchers have defined fast food like any restaurant or restaurant while driving without waiting staff, which means that popular foods such as pizza and sandwiches have been included. This suggests that even individuals who do not consider themselves as regular fast food guests can always be at increased risks of liver complications.

Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. Regarding the medication you take or any other health issue you have, always consult your health care provider directly.