Just recently, I was surprised to discover that my body could no longer tolerate all food in the “Dairy” category. I had not previously been allergic to anything, enjoying all foods equally – until they made me sick.

When I say that I enjoyed “all foods,” I include processed foods, like liquid cheese that doesn’t require refrigeration. I’m part of a generation that has been weaned on processed foods of all kinds. My childhood memory of a typical grilled cheese sandwich included two slices of white (Wonder) bread, a rubbery square of cheese food, a mystery condiment called “Miracle Whip,” and margarine spread liberally on both sides.

Processed foods are those that provide us the most convenience, like prepackaged dinners or fast food meals. If you read the label of a common processed food, you’ll find preservatives, fillers, additives, and many ingredients that you can’t identify and/or pronounce. And now that I really have to watch what I eat, I seriously wonder how we have literally gotten so far from our roots where food is concerned. The farther food is removed from its natural source and form, the worse for us that food becomes.

Dental Problems

“Processed food can adversely affect the whole body, starting with your mouth,” states Dr. Lance Heppler, a dentist in Astoria, Oregon. “The increased levels of sugar found in processed food lead to a greater chance of tooth decay over time.”

The high amounts of sugar found in processed foods like baked goods, candy, cereals, chips and crackers tend to hang around teeth long after the food itself has been eaten. Bacteria turn this sticky-sweet sugar into plaque that can lead to cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Beverages that have been processed can also help ruin a white, healthy smile. Dark-colored sodas are a prime example, not only covering teeth in a sugar bath, but staining them as well.

Food Allergies

Food allergies occur when a person’s immune system treats an ingredient in food – generally a protein – as if it’s harmful. The allergic reaction is the result of antibodies “fighting” the protein. Almost ninety percent of food-related allergies can be traced back to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.

Food allergies seem to be more common than they used to be, especially among children. And while processed foods don’t necessarily cause food allergies, they certainly don’t help. Processed foods can wreak havoc on someone with a food allergy. Soybeans and soybean products are widely used in processed foods, including cereals, crackers, sauces, soups and baked good. It can also be found in meat. Wheat flour – also known as gluten – can be found in products like ice cream and ketchup. Lactose and casein, both found cow’s milk and no longer contributes to my intestinal health, are also found in a variety of processed food that I now avoid.

With so many ingredient names found in a label, how can you really know what you’re eating? The sad truth is that you can’t. Many ingredients and additives in processed food are represented with mysterious names that are difficult to pronounce, such as acesulfame potassium or sodium erythorbate. A simple guideline to remember is that if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.

Obesity

Childhood and adult obesity has become an epidemic in this country, partly due to our culture of convenience foods that have been highly processed. It doesn’t help that we have become accustomed to these dietary choices that are loaded with refined sugar, salt, and engineered flavors. When we become accustomed to processed food, we lose perspective on the variety of flavors provided by whole, natural food.

In addition, processed food is full of ingredients that contribute to weight gain, which then leads to a variety of preventable diseases. Some of these ingredients include:

• trans fats – known to raise cholesterol
• sodium – used as a preservative, it can lead to high blood pressure and fluid retention
• high fructose corn syrup – a cheap alternative to sugar and contains no nutritional benefit
• refined white flour and sugar can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, and an increase in cholesterol levels. These also mess with your body’s glucose levels, causing them to rise and fall rapidly and triggers an insulin response. The increased insulin blocks hormones that are involved with controlling appetite.

Processing food also strips it of naturally occurring nutrients. Synthetic vitamins and minerals, which are not as beneficial as those that occur naturally, are added to processed food.

Eating whole, all-natural fruits, vegetables and grains are necessary for maintaining an appropriate weight – this isn’t possible when consuming processed food. Avoid eating food that isn’t really food – if it contains ingredients that are difficult to impossible for you to pronounce, grab an apple instead.

Kelly Wilson is a freelance writer and SEO consultant. For more information about maintaining or enhancing your smile, contact Dr. Lance Heppler, DMD, a dentist in Astoria, Oregon.

Processed foods have a bad reputation. Do they deserve it?

Very simply, processed foods are any foods which have been altered from their original state. To be fair, there are varying degrees of food processing, as most foods are processed to some degree.

Fruits and vegetables are washed and sometimes waxed, and drinking water is often filtered. But these minimal processes do not alter the nutritional value of the food. For our purposes here, we are discussing the generally accepted, mainstream opinion of processed food, which is convenience foods that contain ingredients like oils, fats, sweeteners, flours and salt.

These types of products often contain food additives meant to enhance flavor, make them shelf stable, and allow them to require minimal preparation. In addition, most food additives provide little to no nutritional value, and can even negate the nutritional value of any whole foods a product may contain.

One of the most talked about food additives is high fructose corn syrup. The corn syrup industry has been running commercials intended to convince consumers that corn syrup is natural and healthy. While the base of high fructose corn syrup is made from a natural product (corn), research indicates that this processed food additive has been linked to:

• elevated triglycerides
• an increased tendency to overeat
• an increased risk of heart disease & diabetes
• decreased levels of chromium, a mineral important in maintaining healthy levels of blood sugar, insulin & cholesterol

Another common additive in processed foods is salt. It’s in everything from canned vegetables and deli meats, to ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. In fact, a full three-quarters of the sodium most of us ingest isn’t from a salt shaker, it’s from the processed foods we eat.

Research has linked an overabundance of sodium to:

• osteoporosis
• high blood pressure
• stroke & cardiovascular disease

Yet another additive frequently found in processed foods is trans fat. It’s what makes muffins moist, crackers crisp and microwave popcorn tasty. It has also been attributed to cause an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 premature heart disease deaths each year.

Research indicates:

• it increases LDL (bad) cholesterol
• it decreases HDL (good) cholesterol
• it increases artery-clogging lipoprotein and triglycerides

Even if you don’t want to make the leap to minimally processed organic raw foods, there are alternatives that are still convenient, yet significantly healthier.

Oftentimes, specialty foods are made by small-scale food producers who are committed to maintaining the integrity of the
ingredients they use. Many try to use local and organic ingredients, with no additives or preservatives.

Also, when grocery shopping, stick to the perimeter of the store. That’s where you’ll find fresh produce, eggs and organic yogurts, fresh fish, grass fed beef and free range chicken.

Bio: Ginnifer Gianelli is devout foodie, researcher, and writer. She loves her husband, but obeys her dog. She blogs at Fooducopia.com.