Let's not go around the bush: McDonald's is a wonderful indulgence. It is the meal of choice for young, lazy, tired and extravagant nutritionally. It's tempting, practical and especially unhealthy. Of course, we all tend to focus more on the "yummy" and "practical" aspects, however, for all of McDonalds' fat burgers, questionable Nuggets and amazingly warm salads, we think at least to find comfort in them. fries. But, did you know that they can be harmful to our health as reported in the British newspaper The Sun.
Who says fries says potatoes, vegetable oil and a pinch of salt. Nothing bad, no? Surprisingly for some people and unsurprisingly for many others, the fries that come with most of your McDonald's meals may prove to be the most unhealthy.
For starters, the ingredients of McDonald's fries, for which we become overly addicted, have been associated with serious health risks, including cardiovascular disease, obesity and even potentially cancer.
The list of ingredients for McDonald's fries
Potatoes
- Vegetable oil (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil)
- Natural beef flavor: Introduced since the restaurant stopped cooking its fries in real beef fat. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the beef flavor itself - whose exact ingredients should not be disclosed by the companies that make it - is not technically qualified as an ingredient. Expect yeast, protein and beef broth, but do not expect real beef.
- Sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve color)
- Salt
Here are the reasons why you should stop eating McDonald's fries
High levels of Omega 3 and Omega 6
McDonald's fries have a blend of 4 different vegetable oils. In addition to being very often genetically modified foods, vegetable oils are inflammatory because of their omega-6 content.
Omega-6 and omega-3 are both necessary for your health. However, if you do not maintain a sufficient omega-3 ratio, this will cause chronic inflammation due to pro-inflammatory eicosanoids made from omega-6 fatty acids. The higher your omega-6 levels, the more omega-3 you will need.
It should be noted that researchers have learned that not all sources of omega-6 are the same. For example, eating nuts does not seem to have the same health risks.
Acrylamide
In 2002, scientists discovered a chemical called acrylamide in certain foods. It is known carcinogenic according to some animal studies, and is used in some industrial processes (it is also found in cigarette smoke). Acrylamide can form in starchy foods, such as potatoes, when they are exposed to high heat during frying.
The FDA currently regulates acrylamide levels in processing plants, but does not measure its content in foods.
Heart problems
According to studies, hydrogenated vegetable oils (or modified) are very rich in trans fatty acids, toxic substances associated with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.
Preservation of frying oil
You've probably guessed that Fast Foods do not replace their cooking oil after every fries bake. The McDonald's chain has indicated that their cooking oils are "filtered" daily, but are only replaced once a week. This means that the fries are cooked in oil that has been reheated many times.
The consumption of warmed vegetable oils has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and higher cholesterol levels.