Ingredients that are “poison” to the body

Having healthy eating habits helps prevent non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, because a balanced diet provides the necessary nutrients for the optimal functioning of the human body, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, acquiring these healthy habits is not always an easy process, because There are foods that, although rich, have little nutritional value and can even be harmful to health. In this sense, here we explain what are those foods that should not be consumed, as they are known as “white poisons”.

Refined salt: high consumption of sodium (salt) increases the possibility of high blood pressure and the presentation of heart diseases such as heart disease and stroke, states the WHO.

Sodium is needed by the body for the proper functioning and balance of muscles, body fluids and nerves, but the amount required for this is very small. According to WHO, people consume 9 to 12 grams of salt per day, which is double the maximum intake recommended by doctors.

“Junk food is full of refined salt, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, consuming this type of salt is equivalent to between 8 and 20 times more than you should be eating. Well, in order for sodium and potassium to find a balance, you need to consume 1500 milligrams per day, but if it is not respected, this is when diseases related to the heart appear, “reviews on the portal The counter.

Refined sugar: It has no protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes or fiber and generally provides no health benefit in human nutrition. Refined sugars are the cause of obesity and nutritional imbalance. In addition, according to studies, they increase the risk of cancer.

It is important to understand this consuming sugar suppresses a hormone called leptin, which is responsible for generating feelings of satiety after eating. Faced with excessive sugar consumption, there will be an insatiable desire to eat and you will continue to feel the taste of sweets.

Avoiding excessive sugar consumption also helps take care of your heart and control your triglyceride levels, as they are a type of fat that stores calories and reduces the effects that good cholesterol has on the body.

refined flour: Genaro Matus, an academician from the UNAM Faculty of Medicine in Mexico, assured that when consuming refined flours, the body perceives excess sugar in its cells.. This can alter nutrient transport and cause cell damage.

At the organic level, the expert explained, many metabolic and hormonal functions change; Another problem occurs at the brain level, just as it happens with drugs: it works with a chemoreceptor, which in the short or long term can lead to the development of addiction.

The finer and whiter the flour, the less fiber, vitamins and minerals it contains. White bread, bran bread, doughy breads contain no vitamins or minerals, but favor tooth decay, cancer, cholesterol and diabetes. The most recommended breads are rye bread and whole wheat bread.

Refined rice: with the refining and polishing of rice”up to 50% of the mineral content and 85% of the B vitamins are lost“, according to the Spanish Nutrition Foundation.

The Spanish Nutrition Foundation explains that rice contains starch, protein (7%) and niacin or vitamin B3 and B6, but these nutrients are lost in the refining and polishing process, which is why brown rice is better.

From a public health perspective, experts recommend replacing refined grains such as white rice with whole grains, including brown rice, to facilitate the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

The difference between a blank and an integral is that the integral has not gone through any refinement process. For this reason it has a darker color as it retains the bran layer of the original grain; Because of this characteristic, it is a firmer rice and takes a little longer to cook.

Pasteurized cow’s milk: The article called “Milk and Health”, published in New England Journal of Medicine in a 2020 edition explains how it can be beneficial for an elderly person to include milk frequently in their diet and ensures that For a person looking for a healthy eating routine, this is not necessary and even if consumed in excess, it can become harmful.

Researchers have reportedly found that in those countries where adults frequently consume milk, they were also more likely to experience hip fractures, as well as develop prostate or endometrial cancer, as the case may be.

“Total dairy intake is not clearly associated with weight control or the risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. High dairy consumption probably increases the risks of prostate cancer and possibly endometrial cancer, but reduces the risk of colorectal cancer“explains the study, published in New England Journal of Medicine.