The risk of diabetes is said to increase with the increase in consumption of junk food, let us know how.
1. Sugar : With the population becoming:” health conscious ” the manufactures have started to hide the added sugars by using products like corn syrup, sucrose, artificial sweeteners, malts etc. End of the day most of these products continue to be high in sugars. Sugar intake is directly linked to our brains center for rewards, so when we consume high sugar foods we feel happy and repeated use makes us somewhat dependent on them. This is more significant for children; studies have highlighted that early childhood exposure to high sugar foods resets the brain to crave for these and makes it difficult to wean off junk food. Intake of foods high in sugars is directly linked to obesity – both obesity and an increased deposition of fat in the abdomen. Obesity is the number one modifiable risk factor for diabetes.
2. Insulin resistance: Obesity and central body fat deposition are connected to insulin resistance. When the body does not use insulin properly, the pancreas assumes that there is a need for more. This daily pressure to increase production wears out the pancreatic cells, and eventually leads to diabetes. Junk foods being high in sugar content and Calories promotes spikes in blood sugar, increasing insulin output constantly. Another problem is that while the sugars are cleared soon the insulin remains high for a while causing a hunger craving and increased calorific consumption. This is a vicious cycle and needs to be controlled.
3. Fats: Junk foods are generally high in saturated fats and may contain trans fats. Both these types of fats increase the levels of triglycerides in the blood. High levels of triglycerides are directly linked to the risk of developing Diabetes. The bad fats present in junk foods also increase the risk of CVD’s.
