Why is industrial bakery not healthy?
What do we understand by industrial bakery? This group of products includes sweets of different types, such as buns, cakes, cookies, breakfast cereals, bars, chocolates, etc. All these foods have in common some characteristics, as its wealth in:
- Calories
- Refined flour
- Vegetable oils of poor quality.
- Trans fat.
- Sugars
Let’s see what these components of the industrial bakery are and what dangers entail consuming them.
They are a calorie bomb
The industrial bakery is characterized by having high amount of calories concentrated in a small volume. 100 grams give us an average of 450 kcal, which is equivalent to eating 600 grams of potatoes or 16,000 grams of green beans. This also amounts to running an hour to burn it. This amount of kilocalories accounts for 30% of the total calories a person consumes per day.
The calories in the industrial bakery that do not contribute anything to our body are called empty calories: many calories and a small amount of nutrients. This is because they do not contain good quality proteins, healthy fats, fiber, or micronutrients, except salt, which is usually found in high amounts.
They have hydrogenated or trans fats
Hydrogenated or trans fats are generated by a chemical process that has many advantages for the food industry: mainly, the cost, since they are cheaper.
The industry introduces hydrogen to certain ingredients that contain fat naturally in a liquid state, such as oils, at very high temperatures so that they become solids.
So, these foods last much longer, are more appetizing and are easier to cook. Consuming just 5 grams of trans fat is already considered harmful to health.
Industrial bakery is not healthy due to excess sugar
According to WHO, the sugar in our diet should not exceed 5% of the daily diet, about 7 lumps, or 30 grams, for adults and about 4 lumps, or 19 grams, for children. For example, just by consuming four chocolate cookies, which have about 34 grams of sugar, equivalent to 8.5 lumps, we already exceed the daily limit.
Refined sugars and simple sugars like sucrose, glucose or invert sugar produce considerable increases in insulin levels in blood, with the consequent risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes.
High salt content
The vitamin and antioxidant content is practically nil in these products, which will favor the production of free radicals. The presence of minerals is very poor, with sodium being the only mineral found, and in excess. High salt intake can cause high blood pressure.
They have refined flours
Refined flours are flours that undergo an industrial process in which thinner and smaller particles are created by removing part of the fundamental components of whole grain flour. They give rise to a more digestible ingredient that allows it to be used more easily in pastry products.
So, to these flours bran and germ are eliminated, That is where vitamins, minerals and fiber are found.
They have poor quality vegetable oils
One of the reasons why industrial pastries are not healthy is because of their content in poor quality vegetable oils. These oils they are refined oils to which, like flours, vitamins and minerals are extracted.
Its elaboration consists of an industrial process where very high temperatures are used, producing the oxidation of fats and chemical products. This type of oils enhance the taste of food making them tasty and lower production costs. Therefore, they substitute other quality oils, such as olive oil.
Industrial pastries can cause health problems
The industrial bakery seriously damages our health due to all the ingredients it has. It can cause problems such as:
It generates addiction
The degree of processing of a product and the combination of fats and sugars it contains It makes us want to eat more and never be satisfied, as this study shows published in Plosone.
Further, sugars reduce stress in our body by lowering cortisol levels in blood So, when we are stressed, we turn to pastries and we can become dependent.
Industrial bakery is not healthy because it produces obesity and diabetes
Due to its high caloric intake and the rest of the ingredients it has, it makes us gain weight. In addition, as we have commented previously, by not satisfying ourselves and stimulating our appetite, it is easy for us to eat more than we should.
Since these products have a high glycemic load, the consumption of industrial pastries is associated with being more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes.
Increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases
The consumption of trans fats, refined oils and salt increases the risk of having hypertension and cholesterol, which leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. These compounds they contribute to the oxidation of LDL lipoproteins, to inflammation and to the elevation of triglycerides in blood
conclusion
In conclusion, the industrial bakery does not give us any benefit, therefore, eliminate it or reduce it as much as possible and choose to make healthy homemade sweets.