Morina Gael When walking down the aisle of our grocery store, we are all too often tempted by the labels of our healthy products and what they make us look like. But there are other things that we believe are virtuous that may have more hidden sugar and processed food additives than a birthday cake. Recent reports in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have indicated that some of our ultra-processed health foods have the potential to disrupt our metabolic health as much as occasional traditional desserts do.
Bottled Fruit Smoothies
Many of the smoothies available in stores have huge quantities of liquid sugar. According to the research published in Nature, it might be possible that drinking your fruit might bypass the body’s sending the fullness signals.
Low-Fat Yogurt
Once it has been stripped of its fats, manufacturers have a tendency to use thickeners and sugar to retain the taste. A BMJ Open study indicates that high-sugar, low-fat diets may be counterintuitively associated with increased long-term cardiovascular risks.
Granola Bars
Frequently sold as a snack that the hiker can rely on, many of the bars are coated with chocolate chips and corn syrup. Experts indicate that these can be basically candy bars that are deficient in protein to provide satiety.
Veggie Chips
A majority of the veggie chips consist of merely potato starch or corn flour with only a dusting of vegetable powder. They are frequently deep-fried in inflammatory oils and may not actually have any real nutritional benefit over more traditional chips.
Agave Nectar
Agave is being sold as a natural alternative, but it is, in fact, incredibly high in fructose. The Journal of Family Practice has conducted research that may indicate that high fructose consumption may be more hepatotoxic than conventional sugar.
Gluten-Free Snacks
In the absence of gluten, most brands add additional sugar, salt, and gums in order to recreate the texture. These replacements may lead to increased glycemic index, which may then lead to spiking your blood sugar as compared to wheat-based treats.
Protein Cookies
It does not necessarily negate the amount of butter and sugar when you add a little bit of protein powder. These so-called fitness cookies may be incredibly high-calorie and even surpass the nutritional value of a typical bakery cookie.
Multi-Grain Bread
Multigrain is, in fact, nothing but an assortment of various kinds of grains, not necessarily whole. Other varieties contain primarily refined white flour, caramel-stained, which may provide minimal real fiber.
Energy Drinks
Even natural versions may have high levels of caffeine and botanical stimulants. Studies show that they may at least lead to heart palpitations or jitteriness, so a simple sweet treat may seem a more relaxing option.
