Ageing Foods to Avoid
In one of my previous post entitled Key Foods for Healthy Skin, I wrote about foods that are good for our skin. Now I added this post on foods that age people, so that you would think twice before reaching for that favourite snack.
Trans-Fat
The word trans-fat will send alarm bells ringing for many health food junkies. Yes, we all know it is bad for our health as it increases the bad cholesterol, reduces the good cholesterol in our bloodstream and put our heart and liver at risk. What exactly is trans-fat? It is produced when hydrogen is added to liquid oils to process into more stable semi-solid or solid fats. Hydrogenated oils are often used as they can increase the shelf life of processed foods.
Food such as French fries, deep fried chicken, cookies, pastries and margarine contain trans-fat. Not only it is bad news to our body as this increases our risk to diseases, it also produced more free radicals that cause us to age more quickly.
Source: B.Heliker
Nitrates/ Nitrites
Speaking of nitrates or nitrites, foods like luncheon meat, sausages, hotdogs and bacon come to our mind. Nitrites have been used as preservatives for processed meat and it is supposed to make the meat taste and look better. However, when such preservatives are added, Nitrosamines are formed and they are proven to be carcinogenic, causing normal body cells to turn into cancer cells. It doesn’t help us to know that sausages and hotdogs consist of mainly fatty meat. Besides, additives in these foods will only make our liver work harder to detoxify them. In fact, one European study found that sausages increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Carbonated drinks
Another culprit that is commonly found in our daily life is carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks are drinks containing dissolved carbon dioxide, usually added to improve the taste or texture. High in sugar and low in nutrients, it makes you fat, weakens your bones and contributes to tooth decay. Research revealed that a carbonated can drink per day can make you pile on 7 kg in a year! Other than obesity, regular intake of such drinks increases your chances of diabetes, hypertension and stroke.
Remember that your skin reflect your state of health. It is not just about the waistline when you eat. Think about the lines on your face as well.
Tags: ageing foods, carbonated drinks, nitrates, nitrites, trans-fat
Health and Beauty | jan1003 April 23, 2009 | 
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