About all

Hamburger bad for you. The Hidden Health Impacts of Hamburger Consumption: What Science Reveals

by alexxlab

How does eating hamburgers affect your body. What are the surprising side effects of consuming burgers regularly. Why are hamburgers potentially bad for your health. What happens inside your body when you eat a burger.

The Caloric Impact of Hamburgers on Weight Management

Hamburgers, a staple of American cuisine, can have significant effects on our bodies, particularly when it comes to calorie intake and weight management. A quarter-pound Whopper with cheese from Burger King, for instance, contains a staggering 740 calories, with 57% of those calories coming from fat. To put this into perspective, a moderately active woman between 26 and 50 years old requires about 2,000 calories per day, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. This means that a single fast-food burger can account for nearly half of the daily caloric needs.

The impact of regular burger consumption on weight gain is supported by scientific research. A study published in the journal Ethnicity & Disease found that women who consumed hamburgers from restaurants at least twice a week were 26% more likely to become obese over a 14-year period compared to those who rarely ate burgers. This statistic underscores the potential long-term consequences of frequent burger consumption on body weight and overall health.

How can you enjoy burgers while managing calorie intake?

  • Opt for leaner meat options, such as 90% lean ground beef
  • Choose whole grain buns or go bun-less
  • Load up on vegetable toppings instead of high-calorie condiments
  • Consider smaller portion sizes or sharing a burger

The Impact of Hamburgers on Cholesterol Levels

One of the primary concerns associated with hamburger consumption is its effect on cholesterol levels. Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, a specialist in preventative cardiology and rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic, advises limiting red meat intake, particularly fatty red meats. These foods are high in saturated fats, which can raise levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly known as “bad” cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol is particularly problematic because it tends to adhere to the walls of blood vessels, potentially narrowing them and impeding blood flow. This can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Studies have shown that the high levels of saturated fats and trans fatty acids found in hamburgers not only raise LDL cholesterol but also lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is considered the “good” cholesterol.

How can you make healthier burger choices to manage cholesterol?

  1. Choose lean cuts of meat or consider alternatives like turkey or plant-based burgers
  2. Grill or broil burgers instead of frying to reduce added fats
  3. Add heart-healthy toppings like avocado or olive oil-based spreads
  4. Incorporate more vegetables into your burger to increase fiber intake

The Link Between Hamburgers and Blood Sugar Regulation

When discussing the health impacts of hamburgers, it’s crucial to consider their effect on blood sugar levels. Many components of a typical hamburger meal can contribute to rapid spikes in blood sugar. The buns, often made from bleached white flour, are low in fiber and quickly broken down into sugar in the body. Additionally, condiments like ketchup, barbecue sauce, and pickle relish often contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), an inexpensive sweetener known for its ability to rapidly elevate blood sugar levels.

Over time, frequent consumption of foods that cause such spikes can lead to insulin resistance and potentially progress to pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. A study published in Circulation found that individuals who consumed fast food more than twice a week had a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health issues including high blood sugar, poor cholesterol profiles, and an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

What strategies can help mitigate the blood sugar impact of hamburgers?

  • Replace white buns with 100% whole wheat alternatives to increase fiber intake
  • Use mustard instead of sugary ketchup or barbecue sauce
  • Add fiber-rich vegetable toppings to slow digestion and sugar absorption
  • Consider open-faced burgers to reduce overall carbohydrate intake

The Inflammatory Response Triggered by Hamburger Consumption

Inflammation is a key factor in many chronic diseases, and research suggests that regular hamburger consumption may contribute to increased inflammation in the body. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that eating red meat and processed meats like bacon and sausage is associated with elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a significant marker of inflammation.

It’s not just the meat itself that contributes to this inflammatory response. The typical accompaniments to burgers—white flour buns, bacon, cheese, sugary condiments, and French fries—are all considered pro-inflammatory foods. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology revealed that a diet high in these inflammatory foods resulted in a 38% increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

How can you reduce the inflammatory impact of your burger meals?

  1. Incorporate anti-inflammatory toppings like leafy greens and tomatoes
  2. Use spices with anti-inflammatory properties, such as turmeric or ginger
  3. Choose grass-fed beef, which may have a better fatty acid profile
  4. Pair your burger with a side salad instead of fries

The Effects of Hamburgers on Digestive Health

The impact of hamburger consumption on digestive health is an often-overlooked aspect of their overall health effects. High-fat meals, such as those containing hamburgers, can slow down digestion and potentially lead to discomfort, bloating, and indigestion. Moreover, the lack of fiber in typical fast-food burgers can contribute to constipation and other digestive issues.

Regular consumption of red meat, particularly when cooked at high temperatures (as is often the case with grilled burgers), has been associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The World Health Organization has classified red meat as a probable carcinogen, largely due to its potential effects on digestive health.

What steps can be taken to improve the digestive impact of hamburgers?

  • Include fiber-rich toppings like lettuce, onions, and tomatoes
  • Choose leaner cuts of meat to reduce fat content
  • Consider alternative cooking methods, such as slow-cooking or oven-roasting
  • Incorporate probiotic-rich sides like sauerkraut or kimchi to support gut health

The Impact of Hamburgers on Cardiovascular Health

The relationship between hamburger consumption and cardiovascular health is complex and multifaceted. The high saturated fat content in many burgers can contribute to the buildup of plaque in arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This buildup can restrict blood flow and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Furthermore, the high sodium content often found in restaurant and fast-food burgers can contribute to hypertension, another significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that individuals who consumed red meat regularly had a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who consumed plant-based protein sources.

How can burger lovers protect their heart health?

  1. Choose lean cuts of beef or opt for heart-healthy alternatives like salmon burgers
  2. Limit portion sizes and frequency of burger consumption
  3. Add heart-healthy toppings like avocado or nuts
  4. Pair burgers with a side of heart-healthy omega-3 rich foods like a spinach salad

The Nutritional Benefits and Drawbacks of Hamburgers

While much of the discussion around hamburgers focuses on their potential negative health impacts, it’s important to acknowledge that they can also provide certain nutritional benefits. Beef is a rich source of high-quality protein, essential for muscle maintenance and growth. It also contains important nutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, which are crucial for various bodily functions including red blood cell production and immune system support.

However, these nutritional benefits must be weighed against the potential drawbacks. The high saturated fat content, especially in fattier cuts of beef, can contribute to elevated cholesterol levels. Additionally, many commercial burgers, particularly those from fast-food chains, come with added preservatives, excess sodium, and artificial additives that may have negative health implications when consumed regularly.

How can you maximize the nutritional benefits of burgers while minimizing drawbacks?

  • Choose grass-fed beef, which may have a better nutrient profile
  • Opt for lean cuts to reduce saturated fat intake
  • Add nutrient-dense toppings like leafy greens and bell peppers
  • Consider making burgers at home to control ingredients and portion sizes

In conclusion, while hamburgers can be a delicious and occasionally nutritious part of a balanced diet, their regular consumption, particularly from fast-food establishments, may pose various health risks. By being mindful of portion sizes, choosing higher-quality ingredients, and balancing burger meals with plenty of vegetables and whole grains, it’s possible to enjoy this American classic while still maintaining overall health and wellbeing. As with many aspects of nutrition, moderation and informed choices are key to navigating the complex relationship between hamburgers and health.

6 Surprising Side Effects of Eating a Burger, Says Science — Eat This Not That

You can smell it. It’s in the air—the aroma of grilled meat, especially hamburgers as their drippings sizzle onto coals and create the smoke that makes your mouth water. Someone in the neighborhood is having a barbecue, and they’re grilling up a lot of hamburgers.

And we Americans do eat a lot of hamburgers. The USDA estimates annual consumption at 2.4 burgers per American, per day. Even if you aren’t a frequent burger eater year-round, you probably eat more of them than usual during the summertime when backyard grills come out of hibernation.

While we’re in the heat of grilling season and burgers are being tossed on Webers everywhere, it seems that it’s prime time to review the potential side effects and the possible health hazards of eating hamburgers. Read on to learn about what happens to your body when you eat a lot of hamburgers, and for more, don’t miss Secret Side Effects of Eating Watermelon, Says Science.

Shutterstock

A quarter-pound Whopper with cheese from Burger King packs 740 calories, 57% of which come from fat. For some perspective, a moderately active woman between the ages of 26 and 50 needs 2,000 calories per day, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. That fast-food burger is almost half of all the calories your body needs to operate for a day.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

With those numbers in mind, it’s no surprise that a study published in the journal Ethnicity & Disease found that women who ate hamburgers from restaurants at least twice a week were 26% more likely to become obese than women who rarely ate burgers over the course of the study’s 14-year time period.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Shutterstock

“We recommend limiting red meat and reducing the amount of fatty red meats because they are high in saturated fats which can raise levels of LDL, low-density lipoprotein,” says Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, who specializes in preventative cardiology and rehabilitation in the Medical Nutrition Therapy Department at the Cleveland Clinic.

LDL is known as the bad kind of cholesterol because it tends to stick to the walls of blood vessels, where it can narrow them, stifling blood flow and increasing your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. Studies show hamburgers’ high levels of saturated fats and trans fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol while lowering the “good” HDL cholesterol.

Eat This! Tip: “If you’re eating red meat, choose lean cuts of those types,” says Zumpano. “If you’re going to eat a burger, make your own with 90 percent lean ground beef or think about having a steak instead or a lean grilled pork chop. For cardiovascular health, you’re better off getting four grams saturated fat from a nice piece of steak than the same from fast food and commercial baked foods.”

Shutterstock

When you eat a lot of hamburgers from fast-food joints or cooked at home, you’re also ingesting a lot of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with condiments like ketchup, barbecue sauce, pickle relish, and even the bun. This inexpensive corn sweetener is notorious for quickly raising blood sugar. Over time, high blood sugar can lead to insulin resistance and pre-diabetes, and eventually full-blown type 2 diabetes. The fact that most burger buns are made with bleached white flour, which is devoid of fiber, doesn’t help either.

A study in Circulation found that people who ate at fast-food restaurants more than twice a week had a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health problems that include high blood sugar and a poor cholesterol profile, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease than people who reported not eating fast food.

Eat This! Tip: Zumpano’s burger building improvements: Use mustard instead of ketchup. “Most mustard is low sodium and rarely contains sugar.” Replace cheese with toppings like “vegetables, pickled cabbage, or avocado.” And a 100% whole wheat bun is preferred because it contains fiber, which slows digestion and the influx of sugars into the bloodstream. “Try the thin whole-grain buns, which are lower in calories, or eat your burger open-faced, just the bottom of the bun, with a fork and knife,” Zumpano says.

Shutterstock

Eating red meat and processed meats like bacon and sausage is associated with high blood levels of a key marker of inflammation called C-reactive protein (CRP), according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Those other ingredients that typically accompany burgers—white flour buns, bacon, cheese, sugary condiments, and French fries —are all pro-inflammatory foods. A separate study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that eating a lot of those inflammatory foods resulted in a 38% increased risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with people whose diets did not regularly include pro-inflammatory foods.

Shutterstock

Eating a fast-food burger packs your body high amounts of salt, some containing nearly half of the daily 2,300mg the American Heart Association recommends most adults stay under. A McDonald’s Big Mac, for example, packs 1010mg of sodium. A diet high in sodium can raise your blood pressure, and you know that chronic elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Shutterstock

If you make a habit of eating hamburgers, your doctor may one day tell you that you have nephrolithiasis. But you’ll have a clue long before you see your doc because you’ll already be suffering from the extreme pain of kidney stones. A diet rich in animal protein can lead to increased uric acid excretion, which forms these rock-like mineral deposits that are so painful to pass through urination. A study in the journal Clinical Science found that men who ate an extra 4 ounces of ground beef each day increased their chances of developing kidney stones by 250%.

Shutterstock

Despite knowing these potential side effects of eating burgers, we know you’re probably not going to suddenly become vegetarian. But at least you know enough about health risks that you may decide to grill more fish and vegetables to limit your red meat consumption. And when you do slap that burger patty on the grill, remember to follow USDA guidelines and cook it to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F. Also, avoid charring the meat. Studies suggest that very well-done meat is linked to certain cancers, especially colon cancer. Eating healthy is the most effective preventive step you can take. Start getting more the 50 Best Foods for Lowering Your Cancer Risk.

Jeff Csatari

Jeff Csatari, a contributing writer for Eat This, Not That!, is responsible for
editing Galvanized Media books and magazines and for advising journalism
students through the Zinczenko New Media Center at Moravian University in Bethlehem, PA. Read more about Jeff

What Happens When You Eat Ground Beef, Says Science — Eat This Not That

Despite the increasing allure of following a plant-based diet, Americans still love to eat beef, consuming about 4.5 servings per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And they especially adore their ground beef, which makes up more than 46% of total US retail beef consumption.

Now that we’re on the cusp of backyard grilling season, you’ll likely stock up on your share of burger meat and may be interested in knowing what you’re getting when you eat all that ground beef. Here’s what happens to your body when you eat ground beef, and for even more tips, be sure to read up on our list of 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.

Shutterstock

A quarter-pound burger made with 80/20 ground beef (80% lean / 20% fat) delivers about 20 grams of protein, which is a little less than half of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) of 46 grams per day for the average sedentary women and 56 grams for the average sedentary man.

Protein is a building block macronutrient essential for the growth and repair of muscle, tissue, and bone. It helps make hormones and also carries oxygen throughout your body in your bloodstream. It can be an important macronutrient for weight control because it is more satiating than carbs.

But as critical as protein is for good health, do you need to load up on red meat to get your fill? Not at all. Protein deficiency is rare in the United States. “Nature has made sure we are protected against protein deficiency,” writes nutritionist Jeff Novick, RD, vice president of health promotion for Executive Health Exams International. “Whole grains, vegetables, and legumes are all excellent sources of high-quality protein.” Here are 11 Health Benefits of Plant Protein.

Shutterstock

Regular consumption of ground beef may affect your joints and kidneys. Whenever you eat animal protein, especially red meat, your uric acid levels can rise. Uric acid buildup in the bloodstream can cause crystals to form in the joints (gout) and combine into uric stones in the kidneys. Both are extremely painful.

The connection between animal protein and kidney stones is well-documented. In one British study in Clinical Science, men who ate the equivalent of an extra 4 ounces of ground beef each day increased their excretion of uric acid by 48% and the odds of developing kidney stones by 250%.

To keep things healthy, The World Cancer Research Fund recommends limiting consumption to about three portions (12-18 oz.) of cooked unprocessed red meat per week. This is a great goal to set for yourself, and a motivation to start eating leaner sources of protein throughout the week.

Get even more healthy eating tips straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter!

Shutterstock

Ground beef packs significant calories in a small package. A typical sit-down restaurant hamburger, about 120 grams of ground beef, for example, contains 326 calories. Make it a double-meat cheeseburger with bacon (plus bun and condiments) and you can see how the calories in that meal can add up to nearly half a day’s worth.

At home, you can make your meaty meals with leaner versions of ground beef, like ground round (14% fat) and ground sirloin (10% fat). But you’ll taste the difference 20% fat ground chuck makes in a burger on the grill.

Speaking of grilling, You’ve Been Grilling Your Burgers All Wrong.

Shutterstock

Eating a meal made with ground beef may have an immediate effect on your cardiovascular system, according to a review in the journal Nutrients. The review of hundreds of studies found a large body of evidence showing that a meal containing high saturated fat, with or without high sugar content, triggers low-grade inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. The endothelium is the thin lining of the blood vessels. Inflammation damages the endothelial cells, causing the arteries to become less pliable and more prone to narrowing (atherosclerosis) and restricting blood flow.

If you are concerned about the saturated fat content in ground beef, one option to consider is switching to beef sourced from grass-fed cattle.

“Grass-fed beef usually contains less total fat than grain-fed beef, which means that gram for gram, grass-fed beef contains fewer calories, too,” says nutritionist Lisa Richards, author of The Candida Diet. “Grass-fed beef also contains a higher amount of healthy fats, including omega-3s and conjugated linoleic acid than grain-fed beef. “

Plus, you’ll also get more antioxidant vitamins A and E from grass-fed beef, she says. You’ll even get a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids!

Shutterstock

A meal high in saturated fat, like one made up of ground beef, eaten a few hours before taking a test or working on a task requiring high concentration may hinder your ability to focus, according to a study published in 2020 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers randomly divided a group of women into two sections: one that ate a meal high in saturated fats and the second given a healthier meal containing lower amounts of saturated fats. Both meals were identical in calories and designed to mimic the contents of a fast-food hamburger meal. Five hours later, all the women were given attention-based tests. Over the next few weeks, the groups switched meals and took more tests. Results showed that after eating the high-saturated fat meal, all of the women performed an average of 11% poorer. In addition, the test-takers response times were more erratic and they were less able to sustain their attention for the full 10 minutes of the test. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Shutterstock

People suffering from osteoporosis are sometimes advised to limit red meat consumption because too much animal protein may leach calcium from bone. A 2017 study in Advances in Nutrition suggests that reducing intake of red meats and other staples of the Western Diet, namely, soft drinks, refined grains, fried foods, and desserts, improved bone mineral density, which can decrease fracture risk.

Related: This Diet Is Bad for Your Bones, New Study Finds

Shutterstock

In 2015 the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Cancer Research announced that eating red meat and processed meats like bacon is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The IACR classified red meat, such as beef, lamb, and pork, as a Group 2A carcinogen, meaning it probably causes cancer. While not everyone sees red meat as the bogeyman of a healthy diet, most medical experts agree that it’s wise to avoid eating too much meat. The American Institute for Cancer Research, for example, recommends limiting red meat to just three portions a week, and no more than 18 ounces in total.

Related: One Major Side Effect of Eating Processed Meat.

Shutterstock

Many studies have demonstrated an association between eating red meat and increased risk of chronic diseases and death from all causes. One large study, for example, analyzed health and lifestyle data from studies on more than 120,000 men and women for more than 20 years. The results published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 12% elevated risk of total mortality for people who consumed one serving of red meat per day and a 20% risk boost for those who ate processed red meat. It’s worth noting that the researchers point out that men and women who ate more red meat consumed lower amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and were less likely to be physically active and more likely to have a higher Body Mass Index.

However, another study in a population known for living a far healthy lifestyle and eating much less meat also linked all-cause death with red meat consumption. The study published in Nutrients in 2019 analyzed data on Seventh-day Adventists, a Christian faith whose members typically eat a whole foods diet, abstain from alcohol, and limit animal products. When compared with participants who ate no red meat, Seventh-day Adventists who reported a low-to-moderate intake of red meat (90% consumed about a half serving a day) showed a moderately higher risk of all-cause mortality as well as death from cardiovascular disease.

“Diets high in saturated fat have been associated with increased risk for the number one killer of Americans, heart disease,” says nutritionist Jana Mowrer, MPH, RD, founder of HealthWins.org. “Even though there’s a lot of controversy over saturated fat in our diet right now, I’m on the side which still believes we need to monitor our saturated fat intake because these fats are from highly processed foods and animal sources and they crowd out other more nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables. The keto diet, for example, concerns me with its emphasis on high-fat intake, which often ends up being a diet very low in fiber. “

Boost your intake of this good-gut-bug growing nutrient with 20 Easy Ways to Add Fiber to Your Diet.

Jeff Csatari

Jeff Csatari, a contributing writer for Eat This, Not That!, is responsible for
editing Galvanized Media books and magazines and for advising journalism
students through the Zinczenko New Media Center at Moravian University in Bethlehem, PA. Read more about Jeff

🍔 Are hamburgers harmful? Is it true that a bun with a cutlet is dangerous to health? – That’s not how it works! – Blogs

Editorial : You are in the Health section of – here we write about nutrition, sports medicine, training and amateur sports. When we invited readers to ask questions to a nutritionist about proper nutrition, some of the questions were about fast food: how useful is it? Can you only eat hamburgers? How will this affect health? Daniil Davydov, a medical journalist and biologist, figured this out for you.

What hamburgers are made of

There are a lot of hamburger recipes: the culinary site Delish, for example, counted 63 pieces. But there are likely many more. In the end, no one bothers to add to the classic ingredients, for example, baked sweet potato, and patent the exclusive “batata burger”.

But since we are not going to cook ourselves, but just want to figure out the composition of the “king of fast food”, I propose to stop at the basic hamburger from McDonald’s. This dish is very simple: it includes a bun, beef cutlet, ketchup, slices of pickled cucumber, onion and mustard.

Here he is, our hero. Source: McDonald’s website.

There is nothing interesting about the last four ingredients. These are the most common pickles – about the same ones are in jars on the lower shelves in almost all Russian stores, and onions, with which nothing special is done, they are only cut. Filling the burger is also uninteresting. This is the most “basic” mustard – that is, a mixture of vinegar, water, salt, crushed mustard seeds and spices, mainly turmeric and paprika, and tomato ketchup, which is 60% tomato puree, glucose-fructose syrup, vinegar, salt and spices. It is much more interesting to deal with the composition of the famous buns and cutlets.

The bun: how unhealthy it is

According to the McDonald’s website, three types of buns are used for hamburgers with very similar composition – they differ in one or two not so important components.

A more or less typical hamburger bun contains wheat flour, water, salt, yeast, rapeseed oil, an emulsifier and an antioxidant. The buns themselves are made from wheat flour, water, salt and yeast, while other ingredients are needed to make them easier to bake and store. Let’s take a look at each component.

Bun . One standard hamburger bun weighs approximately 50 grams. Of these, 6 g is protein, approximately 2 g is fat, 24 g is carbohydrates, and 2.1 g is fiber. An adult needs 29–59 g of vegetable protein, 60–154 g of fats, 257–586 g of carbohydrates, and 20 g of fiber per day. That is, the nutritional value of the bun, to put it mildly, is low.

To understand how satisfying our bun is, it is not enough to know how many proteins, fats and carbohydrates it contains – you need to take into account its glycemic index. It measures how quickly a muffin raises blood glucose levels. Foods with a high glycemic index (70 and above) release glucose quickly and are absorbed quickly, so that you will soon want to eat again. And foods with a low (55 and below) glycemic index release glucose slowly and saturate for longer.

The glycemic index of an “abstract”, that is, average, burger bun is also average – 61. Theoretically, it can saturate for about a couple of hours. But it is important to consider that the glycemic index of a particular bun that you hold in your hands depends on the fiber content: the more it is, the more satisfying the bun. The creators of the classic McDonald’s burger admit that their fiber buns are less than the average – only 1 g. Most likely, a McDonald’s bun will be digested faster than a standard one, so it will not saturate for a long time.

The situation is even worse with vitamins and minerals. In a standard burger bun, 98 mg of calcium (1000 mg per day for an adult), 1. 5 mg of iron (Daily Value – 10-18 mg), 24 mg of magnesium (Daily Value – 400 mg), 77 mg of phosphorus (Daily Value – 800 mg), 91 mg of potassium (daily rate – 2500 mg). And there are so few vitamins in a bun that it makes no sense to mention them. The bun obviously does not pull on a full-fledged food product.

Rapeseed oil . In the 20th century, rapeseed oil was really not very popular with cooks – it contained a lot of erucic acid, which can damage the muscles of the heart. However, today they have learned how to remove erucic acid from oil. Modern low-erucic acid rapeseed oil is no more dangerous than any other edible vegetable oil, according to the FDA, an American mixture of the Department of Health and the CPS, which is famous for its strictness. By the way, the same oil is also used for frying cutlets – McDonald’s refused oils with trans fats back in 2018.

Emulsifier – mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids and their esters. Emulsifiers allow substances that do not mix on their own to mix – by the same principle, eggs “glue” all the components of the pie into the dough. Although the phrase “mono- and diglycerides” sounds creepy, in fact, these substances are common natural components of vegetable oils, which, moreover, are synthesized in our body. And although monoglycerides in emulsifiers are obtained chemically, they are no different from natural ones. In those concentrations in which emulsifiers are added to baking, they do not harm health.

Antioxidant – ascorbic acid. It’s just vitamin C – it keeps the buns from oxidizing and losing color.

Then why doesn’t the bun spoil for a long time ? This question interested the correspondents of the American magazine Insider – and they forwarded it to Professor Keith Warriner, an expert on food safety. The answer turned out to be very simple. The bun does not spoil, not because even microbes refuse to eat it because of chemicals and preservatives, but because it dries quickly. Bacteria, like us, need water to survive. That is why dry foods do not rot: the bacteria in them simply do not survive.

If you leave a bun on an open plate, it will simply dry out – much like human mummies, which also have too little water left to spoil. But if you wrap the bun in a plastic bag that holds water, the bacteria will cause the bun to rot or become moldy like any other food.

Patty: how harmful it is

The McDonald’s website says that the burger patty is made from 100% ground beef without additives, fillers, preservatives and flavor enhancers. The restless journalists of the same Insider got to the factory where they make cutlets for McDonald’s burgers, and found out that this was true. Cutlet – just finely chopped portioned minced meat, obtained from whole pieces of meat in almost sterile conditions. Then the minced meat is shaped into cutlets, frozen, packaged and delivered to a restaurant.

Enthusiasts (not to say maniacs) from the independent blog Weight of Stuff, who carefully study how much ordinary things actually weigh, found out that a patty in a standard burger weighs 45 g. not specified.

A standard 45 g beef patty contains 11 g of protein and 8 g of animal fat, but no carbohydrates. This is already good: the daily requirement for animal protein in an adult is 29–59 g, that is, with a cutlet we get almost half the norm. And since animal fat in large quantities is bad for the heart, just 8 grams per serving is good.

At the same time, the cutlet is still small. So there are not enough minerals in it: 12 mg of calcium, 1 mg of iron, 9 mg of magnesium, 86 mg of phosphorus and 132 mg of potassium. Even when added to what is contained in a bun, it still does not reach a third of the daily allowance. But the cutlet contains 1.2 micrograms of vitamin B12, which is not found in plants – this is even more than a third of the daily requirement.

By the way, you should not be afraid of guests of the country and students who cook burgers with unwashed hands. First, they cook with gloves. And secondly, bacteria multiply rapidly in the “dangerous temperature zone” – that is, at temperatures from 4. 4 to 60 ° C. Burger patties at McDonald’s are first frozen, and then they are cooked to the state of “well done”, that is, at a temperature of at least 69° C – dangerous microbes simply will not survive.

Hamburger in general

Pros – cutlet. A burger patty is a complete and healthy product. It is not too greasy and quite nutritious, although small.

Cons is a bun. A burger bun is far from the most complete product, but there is nothing particularly dangerous to health in it. The most unpleasant thing that it can do to our body is to make us hungry faster than if we ate fiber-rich whole grain cereal or whole grain bread.

All together . Food is like food. It is quite possible to eat a burger to replenish strength after a workout – but you should not count on it to saturate for a long time. And you should not eat burgers every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner – they still lack vitamins and minerals, and the glycemic index is high – so there is a risk of missing the necessary macronutrients and gaining weight.

You can improve the situation if you order a large salad along with a burger – it has a lot of fiber and vitamins that a bun lacks. Although it sounds blasphemous, a salad burger (no soda, ice cream, fries, or other high-glycemic foods) and a few chicken nuggets deserves the title of a normal lunch. Even professional athletes allow themselves this little joy – including immediately after the end of the Olympics.

Photo: unsplash.com/Jake Weirick, Oliver Sjostrom, Christian Wiediger; pexels.com/Polina Tankilevitch, Jens Mahnke

We remind you that we have a discount section where you can find Papa Johns promo codes.

The lowest calorie fast food: a list of what is less calorie from fast food – September 5, 2021

Take, for example, root dogs. Fragrant. Tasty. And one of the causes of bowel cancer

Share

Fast food is firmly entrenched in the title of the most harmful food in the world. Hamburgers? Harm. Shawarma? Sometimes it is possible, but also undesirable. Pizza? You will get fat. That’s just falafel. This is definitely good. It’s full of peas in there. Protein. Benefit! But how are things really? We asked nutritionists to rank the most harmful fast food.

Here we are faced with the question of how and from what ingredients the dish is prepared. In pizza, the dough plays an important role, or rather its quality. But the filling in real pizza does not contain harmful products.

“Of course, you can put whatever your heart desires here,” says Irina Borodina, nutritionist at the City Center for Medical Prevention. — There is, for example, a popular pizza with salami. But mostly fresh vegetables and natural meat are used. Pizza traditionally contains large amounts of tomatoes, cheese and olive oil. Tomatoes saturate the human body with lycopene, an antioxidant that helps prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Cheese, as a dairy product, is also a mandatory supplement and saturates the body with calcium. Olive oil has a rejuvenating effect and also stimulates our immune system. One study showed that pizza can be used instead of cereal for breakfast. Cereal with milk and pizza have about the same number of calories, but pizza has less sugar and more protein. Therefore, pizza gives a long-lasting feeling of satiety and fully nourishes the body.

Irina Borodina — dietician of the City Center for Medical Prevention, Candidate of Sciences, general practitioner of the 1st category.

In general, properly prepared pizza from quality products will never cause harm to health, since the dish contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates, it has everything necessary for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and active life.

How to make pizza at home tastier and healthier

Share

By the way, if you replace hard cheeses in pizza with soft mozzarella, this will reduce the calorie content of your dish, which is important for those who want to lose extra pounds.

— Noodles are made from wheat flour, salt, starch, and sodium carbonate and polyphosphate. The most unhealthy thing about instant noodles is not the noodles themselves, but the spice powder that comes with them, says Irina Borodina. – The composition can be completely different, including harmful additives, flavorings, a large amount of salt. Therefore, it is better to season the noodles yourself. But in general, eating instant noodles in moderation does not cause serious harm to a person.

“There is little benefit in the white wheat flour that noodles are made of,” adds Elena Semichenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology of Organic Substances at the Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology. – The fact is that flour consists of grains, which, in turn, contain the germ and the shell (in the most simplified form). When grain is processed, the amount of fiber and vitamins in it decreases. It is best to use whole grain flour whenever possible.

Most instant noodles are low in calories. It is also low in protein and fiber. But a lot of fat, carbohydrates, sodium and other trace elements. As for nutrients, it all depends on the brand, flavors and additives. But Rachel Link, an American nutritionist, nutritionist and author of the Nutrimental.co blog, for example, calculated the nutritional content of one serving of beef-flavored instant noodles.

What nutrients are in instant noodles

Share

Of course, in addition to salt and palm oil, instant noodles contain flavor enhancers, antioxidant E319 and monosodium glutamate. They can be harmful to health, but only in large doses. To find out if there is at least something useful in instant noodles, look at what doshiraks are made of and how much harm they actually contain.

The harm or benefit of these dishes depends on the quality of the products in the composition. For example, which cutlet is in a hamburger, which meat is deep-fried or steamed or grilled.

— A hamburger, a sandwich, and shawarma can be quite healthy dishes if they are made from quality products, — says Irina Borodina. – PP-burger, cooked at home from natural products – from buns and cutlets to sauce, reduces the calorie content by half. Such fast food will not harm either the figure or the body, and thanks to slow carbohydrates it will relieve hunger for a long time.

Composition of the most ordinary hamburger

Share

By the way, hamburgers are a clear example of how society dictates its own rules of the game and changes recipes. If twenty years ago burgers were, relatively speaking, the same (patties fried in a puddle of oil, don’t understand which buns), today, thanks to a growing number of supporters of proper and healthy food, burgers are increasingly grilled, and ordinary buns are replaced with whole grains.

– Mandatory components of any burger are a meat patty and a bun. Depending on the recipe, they can be supplemented with fresh and pickled vegetables, cheese, bacon, and eggs,” says chef Ivan Anufriev. – This is really a high-calorie dish, but cooked correctly and using quality products, while maintaining an active lifestyle, it can replace a regular lunch a couple of times a week and not be reflected in the form of extra deposits on the body. Those who approach the issue with pedantic scrupulousness should try the offers from modern burger and steak bars. The menu includes burgers with whole grain buns, there are offers for girls when the same burger is served on a plate, but without a bun. Its role is played by the leaves of different varieties of lettuce, in which the rest of the ingredients are wrapped.

— The basis of these food products is sausages. Sausages are processed meat, says Irina Borodina. – Experts from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have concluded that processed meat is one of the causes of bowel cancer. Eating 50 grams of processed meat (such as bacon or sausage) daily increases the risk of bowel cancer by 18%. But there is also good news. A hot dog can be made useful if, instead of sausages from the store, you make a natural sausage, say, from a turkey.

You definitely won’t find anything good in hot dogs, but you can definitely find something harmful

Share

Regardless of the ingredients and the technology of their preparation, hot dogs are a high-calorie food. The average energy value of a finished hot dog is almost 296 kcal. The fact that the composition of a hot dog includes vegetables, meat and bread does not give it much nutritional value. The amount of nutrients in a medium serving is:

  • proteins – 9.8 grams;
  • carbohydrates – 23.8 grams;
  • fat – 12. 7 grams.

Experts agree that a hot dog does not bring any benefits to the body. In any form. Fragrant. Tasty. Useless.

Nutritionists’ main claim to these products is that the technology of their preparation is based on deep-frying. Accordingly, they all contain trans fats.

“These fats are formed during the deodorization and hydrogenation of vegetable oils,” says Irina Borodina. – Man-made trans fats, also known as industrial trans fats or partially hydrogenated fats, are dangerous to health. Many clinical studies have linked their use to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) today released the REPLACE package of measures, a step-by-step guide to eliminating industrially produced trans-fatty acids from food worldwide.

You can also easily find trans fats in many common foods. Therefore, nutritionists insist that it is very important to be able to read the label and avoid foods with trans fats.

You can find trans fats not only in fast food, but also in quite familiar foods that you might be eating right now

Share

You can dwell on nuggets in a little more detail. You will never guess their exact composition. The quantitative ratio of meat and everything else in them is a fortune, a lottery. Roskachestvo specialists conducted an examination, which showed that they often have a lot of breading (up to 50% of the total mass). But since there are no standards regarding ingredients, manufacturers do not violate anything.

Nuggets can also contain too much moisture. Yes, this makes them juicier, but you overpay for plain water. And due to the fact that, in addition to chicken meat, nuggets contain many other ingredients (including those not indicated in the composition, for example, soy flour instead of soy protein, poultry skin instead of fillet), their nutritional value compared to the same chicken breast much lower. And do not forget that nuggets are a product of deep processing. With sugar. It may not be felt, but it is there.

“Over time, due to uncontrolled consumption of large amounts of sugar, a person develops insulin resistance,” says dietitian Irina Toropygina. – Decreased sensitivity of insulin receptors. That is, there is a lot of glucose in the blood, but it is not absorbed, does not enter the cell, the cell experiences hunger and does not receive glucose to perform energy functions. In response to this, a person consumes sweets even more and only aggravates the situation. Excessive consumption of sugar inevitably leads to the development of carbohydrate dependence and, over time, to the formation of diabetes mellitus and obesity.

Irina Toropygina — dietitian, specialist in functional integrative nutrition, DNA testing specialist.

Although most of the fast food today is trying to somehow adapt to the needs of customers who have begun to monitor their diet and adhere to proper nutrition, nutritionists still recommend not to eat it every day.