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The Healthiest Options at Fast-Food Restaurants

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Fast food can be your friend. Our experts pick the healthiest menu options at McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Subway, and other fast-food favorites.

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12 Weird Effects Fast Food Has on Your Brain

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You probably know it can blow up your waistline, but fast food may also have a surprising impact on your mood and mind.

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If you've got kids watching TV, you've got kids watching junk food ads. Companies spend billions of dollars promoting sweet cereals, soda, and fast food to the most impressionable viewers. Help steer your kids away from all the unhealthy marketing.

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Jump to navigation If you've got kids watching TV, you've got kids watching junk food ads. Companies spend billions of dollars promoting sweet cereals, soda, and fast food to the most impressionable viewers. Help steer your kids away from all the unhealthy marketing.

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Food for thought when fast food's on the menu.
The words "fast food" may conjure images of greasy burgers, salty fries and frosty shakes brimming with fat and sugar. The truth is, fast food doesn't always mean "bad for you," said Linda Van Horn, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University.

"You just have to be selective, both about the choice of restaurant and the choices you make when you get there," Van Horn said. "Some, but not all, fast food restaurants have grilled chicken, salads, low-fat milk, fruit and even oatmeal choices for breakfast. Figure out which restaurants offer such options and try to frequent those more often. Consumer behavior strongly influences what restaurants choose to serve, so if you want healthier choices, choose them and let it be known."

Even if you're in good heart health, try to avoid poor food choices, especially the obvious culprits that are deep fried, swimming in cream or butter, showered in salt or glittering with sugar. Even a salad that may seem healthy is just a few dollops of fatty dressing away from being bad for your heart.

"A salad loaded with bacon, salty high-fat dressing and cheeses can have more calories than a hamburger or piece of thin-crust cheese pizza," Van Horn said.

Diet is an important part of your overall health. A diet high in saturated and trans fats raises blood cholesterol - a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Too much sodium can raise your blood pressure and too much fat and sugar can lead to obesity, both of which may contribute to heart disease as well.

Make informed food choices.

Knowing what you're eating is truly the best way to understand the health risks, and there are many resources available. The American Heart Association's Heart Check program offers plenty to chew on making it easy to find better options when eating away from home with the Heart-Check mark certification for heart-healthy meals.

Simply look for the Heart-Check mark on the menu-it's similar to the one you may recognize from heart-healthy foods in the grocery store.

When you see the Heart-Check mark on the menu, you'll know right away that the meal has been certified to meet our nutritional standards.

Currently, not all fast food restaurants include nutrition information. A provision of the Affordable Care Act will require businesses with more than 20 locations to calculate the nutritional content for all food products and post the information on menus and signs, but final rules from the Food and Drug Administration are still pending.

Craving fast food? Not so fast.

If you find yourself driving through for fast food, avoid super-sizing your order to help cut down on fat, salt and sugar.

The grocery store can be a healthy alternative to fast food, Van Horn said. That's because anything that comes in a box, can or frozen package must have a nutrition label so you can compare products and pick the healthier option.

"It's often cheaper and just as easy to run into a grocery store and buy more nutritious food like a freshly made sandwich on whole-grain bread using fresh turkey or chicken and a piece of fruit," Van Horn said. "Also, many grocery stores sell packaged salads and soups to go, but again, read the label. When it comes to choosing a quick meal, you can think inside or outside the fast food box."
Learn more:

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Food for thought when fast food's on the menu. The words "fast food" may conjure images of greasy burgers, salty fries and frosty shakes brimming with fat and sugar. The truth is, fast food doesn't always mean "bad for you," said Linda Van Horn, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University.

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The impact of food advertising on childhood obesity

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Increases in advertising for nonnutritious foods are linked to high rates of childhood obesity, which increases morbidity and mortality and has substantial economic and social costs.

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Latinos tend to live in neighborhoods with abundant fast food options and few sources of healthy, affordable foods, according to research by Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio (formerly SaludToday).

What happens when you eat a lot of unhealthy food at restaurants?

A new infographic by Healthline highlights 13 effects of eating highly processed, unhealthy food on the human body, including obesity:

Fast food isn't necessarily bad, but in many cases it's highly processed and contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt (sodium).

These foods are often high in calories yet offer little or no nutritional value. When fast food frequently replaces nutritious foods in your diet, it can lead to poor nutrition, poor health, and weight gain. Tests in lab animals have even shown a negative effect in short duration diets. Being overweight is a risk factor for a variety of chronic health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, most people underestimate the number of calories they're eating in a fast-food restaurant. A 2013 study published in JAMA Pediatrics showed that children and adolescents take in more calories in fast food and other restaurants than at home. Eating at a restaurant added between 160 and 310 calories a day.

The infographic features studies that link unhealthy foods and drinks (often available at fast food restaurants) to depression, respiratory problems, acne and more.

Poor nutrition and obesity, of course, remain a large health threat.

"The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) reports that the number of fast food outlets has doubled since 1970, a period during which the number of obese Americans also doubled," according to Healthline. "It's likely that many factors have contributed to the obesity epidemic, but the correlation between the availability of cheap and fattening fast food and national weight increase is stark."

View the full infographic.

So what can we do to improve?

Check out these heroes of healthy food access:

And help with school food!

A School Food Pantry accepts, stores, and redistributes donated and leftover food to students.

The new Salud America! "School Food Pantry Action Pack" is a free guide to help school personnel talk to decision-makers, work through logistics, and start a School Food Pantry to help hungry students and reduce local food insecurity.
Get the Action Pack!

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13 Effects of Fast Food on the Human Body

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Latinos tend to live in neighborhoods with abundant fast food options and few sources of healthy foods. What happens when you eat lots of fast food?

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Christa Miller

Christa Miller is a writing professional with expertise in massage therapy and health. Miller attended San Francisco State University to earn a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing with a minor in journalism and went on to earn an Arizona massage therapy license.

Junk food is any food that provides too much fat and calories and not enough nutrients. You may have trouble resisting the urge to indulge when commercials, grocery store shelves and fast food restaurants are packed with treats. Consuming small amounts of junk food can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but your body is at risk of serious harm if you don't monitor your intake.

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Junk foods such as donuts, boxed baked treats, processed foods and restaurant-fried foods contain trans fats. These fats, which are produced by partially hydrogenating various types of oil, have been linked to serious health problems. For instance, they are known to increase your levels of "bad" cholesterol and decrease your levels of "good cholesterol," which can boost your chances of having heart disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A study by Ms. Jean A. Welsh, M.P.H., R.N. et al., published in the April 21, 2010 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," determined that consuming large quantities of added sugars in junk foods can increase your blood fats and decrease your "good" cholesterol, thus also contributing to your risk of heart disease.

When compared with young adults who eat fast food less than once weekly, young adults who eat at fast food restaurants more than twice weekly gain more weight and are more likely to see a great increase in their diabetes and heart disease risk as they reach early middle age, according to a study by Pereira, M.A. et al., published in the January 2005 issue of "Lancet." Specifically, young adults who ate fast food more than twice per week gained 10 more pounds and had twice the insulin resistance increase. One suspected culprit for the weight gain was the sheer quantity of calories in fast food.

The November 2009 issue of the "British Journal of Psychiatry," contained a report of a study by Tasnime N. Akbaraly, Ph.D., et al. The researchers discovered a link between depression and junk food. As part of the study, middle-aged office workers' habits were observed for five years. They were more likely to report symptoms of depression when they had a diet high in desserts, fried foods, refined cereals, fatty dairy products, processed meat and chocolate. Conversely, workers whose diet emphasized fish, fruits and vegetables were less likely to report such symptoms.

Children who consume junk foods such as pizza, chips and biscuits prior to age 3 may end up having lower IQs than children who ate home-cooked foods with fruits and vegetables. According to 2010 research by Kate Northstone et al., published in the Feb. 7, 2011 issue of the "Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health," these children were tested five years down the line and had IQ scores that were as much as five points lower than their healthier-eating peers. The researchers suspected that the negative effect of eating junk foods so early in life may not be altered by future healthy habits because it is related to hindered brain development.

To reduce your health risk, the American Heart Association recommends that you limit your intake of trans fats to less than 1 percent of your total calories - about 2 grams each day - but ideally, cut it out altogether. Cut daily intake of added sugar to about 100 calories, or 6 teaspoons, for women and about 150 calories, or 9 teaspoons for men. You do not have to give up fast foods if you choose smaller servings, limit or avoid cheese toppings, mayo, high-fat sauces and dressings, breaded or fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Choose instead roasted or grilled chicken, single hamburgers with lettuce and tomato, tacos fresco style, made with salsa instead of cheese, diet soda, water, low-fat salad dressings, yogurt for dessert, and, if you cannot pass them up, order small fries. If you eat fast food more than once a week, the University of Georgia Health Center recommends lean-meat deli sandwiches and vegetables as a healthier choice.

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Junk food is any food that provides too much fat and calories and not enough nutrients. You may have trouble resisting the urge to indulge when commercials, grocery store shelves and fast food restaurants are packed with treats. Consuming small amounts of junk food can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but your body is at risk of serious harm if you...

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Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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The food we eat gives our bodies the "information" and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines.

If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

In short, what we eat is central to our health. Consider that in light of Webster's definition of medicine: " The science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease."
Food acts as medicine--to maintain, prevent, and treat disease.

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How Does Food Impact Health? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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The food we eat gives our bodies the "information" and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines.If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.In short, what we eat is central to our health.

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nazarovsergey/Shutterstock Don't get enough sleep? Drink too much booze? Stressing out? These everyday habits could all be ruining your immune system, but the worst culprit may be your fast food habit.

A recent study out of the University of Bonn suggests that a typical "Western diet" (a lot of red meat, sugar, and saturated fat and not much fiber-basically synonymous with fast food) can kick the immune system into overdrive, causing inflammation. The study, published in the journal, Cell, goes on to connect that inflammatory response to serious conditions like cardiovascular diseases (read: stroke or heart attack) and type 2 diabetes, which itself can lead to cardiovascular diseases, as reported by Science Daily.

Researchers, led by Eicke Latz, MD, PhD, director of the Institute for Innate Immunity of the University of Bonn in Germany, placed mice on a Western diet and observed that after only one month, the mice had an inflammatory response akin to that triggered by a serious bacterial infection. "Fast food thus causes the body to quickly recruit a huge and powerful army," noted the University of Bonn's press release, as that process notably increases the immune cells in the mice's blood.

Even worse? The immune response isn't reversible, the scientists discovered. When they fed the mice a healthier diet for another month, the acute inflammation subsided, but genetic testing revealed permanent changes to the immune system. This is because "the innate immune system has a form of memory," Dr. Latz explains. "After an infection [or in the case of the mice, exposure to fast food], the body's defenses remain in a kind of alarm state, so that they can respond more quickly to a new attack."

Although the precise mechanism behind this process remains to be determined, Dr. Latz sees the research results as a warning, especially for parents of young kids, and suggests nutrition play a more prominent role in early childhood education. "Children have a choice of what they eat every day," he says. "We should enable them to make conscious decisions regarding their dietary habits."

Make sure you avoid these other seemingly innocent habits that could be damaging your immune system.

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How Fast Food Affects Your Immune System | Reader's Digest

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nazarovsergey/Shutterstock Don't get enough sleep? Drink too much booze? Stressing out? These everyday habits could all be ruining your immune system, but the worst culprit may be your fast food habit.

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Effects of Fast Food on the Body

Food is fuel for your body and has a direct impact on how you feel as well as on your overall health. Fast food refers to food that can be served quickly. In many cases, that means food that is highly processed and contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt (sodium). These foods generally contain a high number of calories but offer little or no nutritional value.

A 2013 study published in JAMA Pediatrics showed that children and adolescents take in more calories in fast food and other restaurants than at home. Eating out added between 160 and 310 extra calories a day. According to the National Institutes of Health, some fast food meals give you a whole day's worth of calories. That can really pack on the pounds. Being overweight is a risk factor for a variety of chronic health problems.

When fast food frequently replaces nutritious foods in your diet, it can lead to poor nutrition and poor health.

Digestive and Cardiovascular Systems

Many fast foods and drinks are loaded with carbohydrates and, consequently, a lot of calories. Your digestive system breaks carbs down into sugar (glucose), which it then releases into your bloodstream. Your pancreas responds by releasing insulin, which is needed to transport sugar to cells throughout your body. As the sugar is absorbed, your blood sugar levels drop. When blood sugar gets low, your pancreas releases another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon tells the liver to start making use of stored sugars. When everything is working in sync, blood sugar levels stay within a normal range.

When you take in high amounts of carbs, it causes a spike in your blood sugar. That can alter the normal insulin response. Frequent spikes in blood sugar may be a contributing factor in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Added sugars have no nutritional value but are high in calories. According to the American Heart Association, most Americans take in twice as many sugars as is recommended for optimal health. All those extra calories add up to extra weight, a contributing factor in heart disease.

Trans fats, often found in fast food, are known to raise LDL cholesterol levels. That's the undesirable kind of cholesterol. It can also lower HDL cholesterol. That's the good cholesterol. Trans fats may also increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Too much sodium helps to retain water, so it can cause general bloating and puffiness. Sodium can contribute to high blood pressure or enlarged heart muscle. If you have congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, or kidney disease, too much salt can contribute to a dangerous build-up of fluid. According to the American Heart Association, children who have a high-sodium diet are at twice the risk for developing high blood pressure than children on a low-sodium diet. Excess sodium may also increase risk for kidney stones, kidney disease, and stomach cancer.

High cholesterol and high blood pressure are among the top risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Respiratory System

Obesity is associated with an increase in respiratory problems, and treating those ailments may be more complicated. Even without diagnosed medical conditions, obesity may cause episodes of shortness of breath or wheezing with little exertion. Obesity may play a role in the development of sleep apnea and asthma.

A recent study published in the journal Thorax suggests that children who eat fast food at least three times a week are at increased risk of asthma and rhinitis (congested, drippy nose).

Central Nervous System

There are many types of headache and many things that can cause them. Some dietary triggers that can be found in fast food include salt, processed meats, nitrates, and MSG.

A study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition showed that eating commercial baked goods (doughnuts, croissants, cake) and fast food (pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs) may be linked to depression. People who eat fast food are 51 percent more likely to develop depression than those who eat little to no fast food. It was also found that the more fast food they consumed, the more likely study participants were to develop depression.

Skin and Bones

Chocolate and greasy foods, often blamed for acne, are not the real culprits. It's carbs. According to the Mayo Clinic, because foods that are high in carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels, they may also trigger acne.

The Thorax study showed a higher risk of eczema (inflamed, irritated patches of skin) among children with a diet high in fast food.

When you consume foods high in carbs and sugar, bacteria residing in your mouth produce acids. Those acids are hard on your teeth. In fact, they can destroy tooth enamel, a contributing factor in dental cavities. When the enamel of your tooth is lost, it can't be replaced. Poor oral health has also been linked to other health problems.

Excess sodium may also increase your risk of developing osteoporosis (thin, fragile bones).

This article has been posted with permission of healthline.com

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Effects of Fast Food on the Body Food is fuel for your body and has a direct impact on how you feel as well as on your overall health. Fast food refers to food that can be served quickly.

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Processed foods, such as ready meals, baked goods, and processed meats, can have negative health effects.

Most food needs some degree of processing, and not all processed foods are bad for the body.

However, chemically processed foods, also called ultra-processed foods, tend to be high in sugar, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates, and trans fats. Because of this, they are a major contributor to obesity and illness around the world.

In recent decades, ultra-processed food intake has increased dramatically worldwide. These foods now account for 25-60% of a person's daily energy intake throughout much of the world.

This article looks at how processed foods can affect a person's health and what to avoid.

The term "processed food" can cause some confusion because most foods are processed in some way.

Mechanical processing - such as grinding beef, heating vegetables, or pasteurizing foods - does not necessarily make foods unhealthful. If the processing does not add chemicals or ingredients, it does not tend to lessen the healthfulness of the food.

However, there is a difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing.

Chemically processed foods often only contain refined ingredients and artificial substances, with little nutritional value. They tend to have added chemical flavoring agents, colors, and sweeteners.

These ultra-processed foods are sometimes called "cosmetic" foods, as compared with whole foods.

Some examples of ultra-processed foods include:

frozen or ready meals

baked goods, including pizza, cakes, and pastries

packaged breads

processed cheese products

breakfast cereals

crackers and chips

candy and ice cream

instant noodles and soups

reconstituted meats, such as sausages, nuggets, fish fingers, and processed ham

sodas and other sweetened drinks

Ultra-processed foods tend to taste good and are often inexpensive.

However, they usually contain ingredients that could be harmful if consumed in excess, such as saturated fats, added sugar, and salt. These foods also contain less dietary fiber and fewer vitamins than whole foods.

One large study, involving more than 100,000 adults, found that eating 10% more ultra-processed foods was associated with above a 10% increase in the risks of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disorders.

The researchers reached this conclusion after accounting for saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and fiber intake.

Another large study, involving almost 20,000 adults, found that eating more than 4 servings of processed food daily was linked with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. For each additional serving, all-cause mortality risk increased by 18%.

Other research indicates that eating highly processed foods can lead to weight gain.

Below, we look at seven reasons why processed foods can increase the risk to a person's health.

Processed foods tend to contain added sugar and, often, high fructose corn syrup. Added sugar contains no essential nutrients but is high in calories.

Regularly consuming an excess of added sugar can lead to compulsive overeating. It is also linked with health conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory diseases.

Processed foods and beverages are among the major sources of added sugar in the diet. Sweetened beverages are a particularly significant source; people tend to consume much more sugar than they realize in soft drinks.

Cutting down on added sugar - by drinking sparkling water instead of soda, for example - is a quick and effective way to make the diet more healthful.

The ingredients list on the back of processed food packaging is often full of unrecognizable substances. Some are artificial chemicals that the manufacturer has added to make the food more palatable.

Highly processed foods often contain the following types of chemicals:

preservatives, which keep the food from going bad quickly

artificial coloring

chemical flavoring

texturing agents

Also, processed foods can contain dozens of additional chemicals that are not listed on their labels.

For example, " artificial flavor " is a proprietary blend. Manufacturers do not have to disclose exactly what it means, and it is usually a combination of chemicals.

Official organizations have tested most food additives for safety, though the use of these chemicals remains controversial among doctors and researchers.

Carbohydrates are an essential component of any diet. However, carbs from whole foods provide far greater health benefits than refined carbohydrates.

The body breaks down refined, or simple, carbohydrates quickly, leading to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. When these levels then drop, a person may experience food cravings and low energy.

Because refined carbs cause frequent increases and decreases in blood sugar, consuming them is linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Highly processed foods are often high in refined carbohydrates.

Healthful sources of carbohydrates include:

Ultra-processed foods are very low in essential nutrients, compared with whole or minimally processed foods.

In some cases, manufacturers add synthetic vitamins and minerals to replace nutrients lost during processing. However, whole foods provide additional healthful compounds that ultra-processed foods do not.

Fruits, vegetables, and grains, for example, contain healthful plant compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic effects. These include flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, and carotenoids.

The best way to get the full range of essential nutrients is to eat whole, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods.

Dietary fiber has a wide range of health benefits.

Fiber can slow the absorption of carbohydrates and help people feel more satisfied with fewer calories. It also acts as a prebiotic, feeding the friendly bacteria in the gut, and can help boost heart health.

Most ultra-processed foods are very low in fiber, as natural fiber is lost during processing.

Healthful high fiber foods include:

The way that manufacturers process foods makes them very easy to chew and swallow.

Because much of the fiber is lost during processing, it takes less energy to eat and digest ultra-processed foods than whole or less processed foods.

As a result, it is easier to eat more of these products in shorter periods. In doing so, a person consumes more calories - and uses fewer in digestion - than they would if they had eaten whole foods instead.

This increases a person's chances of taking in more calories than they use up, which can lead to unintentional weight gain.

Ultra-processed foods are often high in unhealthful, cheap fats. For example, they often contain refined seed or vegetable oils, which can be easy to use, inexpensive, and last a long time.

Manufacturers create artificial trans fats by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils, making them more solid.

Trans fats increase inflammation in the body. They also raise levels of low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol, and decrease levels of high-density lipoprotein, or "good," cholesterol.

Eating trans fats is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. For example, according to a 2019 study, a 2% increase in energy intake from trans fats is linked with a 23% increase in cardiovascular risk.

The best way to avoid refined oils and trans fats is to avoid processed foods. A person can replace these with healthful alternatives, such as coconut oil or olive oil.

In recent decades, ultra-processed foods have become common in diets worldwide. However, eating large amounts of these foods increases risks to health.

To rebalance the diet or make it more healthful, a person can replace ultra-processed foods with whole foods, including grains, nuts, seeds, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

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Processed foods: Health risks and what to avoid

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Processed foods, such as ready meals, baked goods, and processed meats, can have negative health effects. Most food needs some degree of processing, and not all processed foods are bad for the body. However, chemically processed foods, also called ultra-processed foods, tend to be high in sugar, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates, and trans fats.

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Fast food. It's cheap, convenient and marketed to us when we're young, in the hope that we'll be consumers for life. For many companies, that strategy has paid off. But there's a wrinkle in that math. If we eat too much of this stuff, that frequent consumer's lifespan could be a lot shorter than if he'd eaten more food unassociated with clowns, colonels, kings and freckle-faced girls with red pigtails.

See, in many cases, fast food is highly processed and contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugar, unhealthy fats and sodium. These foods are almost always high in calories while offering little in the way of nutrition. And when fast food frequently replaces nutritious whole foods in your diet, it can lead to all sorts of bad health outcomes. Derailing your weight loss goals is just one. Here are 20 things you can expect a fast-food diet to do to your body in a relatively short amount of time.

If you switch from a balanced diet of whole foods to one of fast food, the most obvious difference you'd register would be the enormous uptick in (largely empty) calories you'd consume per meal. Hello, belly fat - and worse: "The high calorie intake can lead to obesity, which puts you at risk for developing chronic diseases," warns Jim White, RD, ACSM, owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios.

...nutritionally speaking. The high calories in fast food are accompanied by low nutritional content. Too much of that, and your body will begin to lack the necessary nutrients it needs to function properly. "Your body is temporarily full with empty foods that don't provide nourishment, so even though you may have eaten a lot of calories, you won't be satisfied for long," says Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, founder of Real Nutrition NYC. For 150+ ideas for delicious foods that will slim your waist without sacrificing flavor, check out the best-selling Zero Belly Cookbook - test panelists lost 16 pounds in 14 days!

PhIP is short for 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, this catchy-sounding chemical appears in the grilled chicken marketed by a major fast-food chain. "The organization says the substance, which forms when meat is heated to a certain temperature, is associated with human breast, prostate and colon cancers," says Seth Santoro of LA Life Chef.

Fats commonly found in fast food are made up of saturated fatty acids. Those are fats that are solid at room temperature, often derived from animals and some plant oils. You'll find it abundant in, say, a cheeseburger. Jim White warns that these fats can raise the blood cholesterol levels, which leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. So kick your fast-food habit and stock up on these 10 Foods That Make Your Heart Younger!

Fast foods like bacon burgers, some fried foods and milkshakes can be high in saturated fats. "It's been long established that saturated fats can negatively impact the heart, but there's also research that suggests high saturated fat intake may negatively impact brain function and memory," says Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD. She adds that higher intakes of saturated fatty acids may impair memory speed and flexibility and prospective memory (your ability to remember to do what you intended). You intended not to pull into the drive-thru, remember?

Dietary fiber (commonly found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds) plays a dominant role in the digestive system. Fiber helps keep your digestive tract working properly as it ushers wastes out of the body. It can help lower cholesterol and keep blood-sugar levels normal. "Unfortunately, most fast foods don't contain high dietary fiber contents," says White. What does? These 11 Best High-Fiber Foods for Weight Loss!

Eating fast food may cause skin issues such as acne. "No, it isn't the chocolate or fried components," says Shapiro. "It's the simple sugars, white flour and empty carbs like French fries that can be blamed." Fast food is a definite Not That! when it comes to What to Eat for Better Skin!

Some foods naturally contain higher amounts of sodium, but sodium is also added to many food products. Some of these additives are monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrite, sodium saccharin, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and sodium benzoate, which are used as flavoring or preservatives. Regarding dietary sodium limits, it's suggested that adults stay under 1,500 mg per day, and should never consume more than 2,300 mg/day. Santoro says a single fast food meal can actually exceed 2,300 mg. "Too much sodium causes your body to retain water, making you feel bloated and puffy," he adds. "But that's the least of the damage overly salted foods can do."

Sodium also can contribute to existing high blood pressure or an enlarged heart muscle. If you have congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, or kidney disease, too much salt can contribute to a dangerous buildup of fluid. "Excess sodium may also increase your risk for kidney stones, kidney disease, and stomach cancer," says Santoro.

Frequent soda intake can lead to poor oral health, says Leah Kaufman, MS, RD, CDN. Drinking large amounts of soda increases the amount of acid in your mouth, which eventually causes tooth decay and cavities. "Some of your fast food desserts, such as McFlurries or Frosty, may also add to this," she says. And that's not all. Check out our report on What Happens To Your Body When You Give Up Soda!

Recent research shows that eating fast food may cause a higher rate of depression, Shapiro says. One study indicated that people who ate fast food were 51 percent more likely to develop depression that those who didn't.

Eating high-carb fast food increases your blood sugar. As you consume white-flour-based foods - such as the bun from a burger, or French fries with your sandwich - your body takes in a large amount of white sugar. "Frequent consumption of these foods may lead to diseases such as obesity - which the American Medical Association has indicated is a clinical diagnosis - and diabetes," says Kaufman.

There's a lack of omega-3 fatty acids in fast foods. Shocker! A dearth of those good fats can create a more anxious mental state. But it's not just what fast food lacks that can cause anxiety. This stuff is also high in refined carbohydrates, which can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar. If your blood sugar dips into hypoglycemic levels, you can experience anxiety, trembling, confusion and fatigue.

PAPs stands for "polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters," chemicals that line fast-food packaging to make it grease- and waterproof. "The substances leach to the food inside the packaging and end up in your bloodstream. They're linked to liver disease as well as cancer," says Santoro.

Many fast foods served are derived from animal products, deep fried and served with cheese and high-fat dipping sauces. "The high fat content in fast food can contribute to high cholesterol, which can also lead to atherosclerosis. That occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries and prevents the flow of blood to the heart and organs," says White. What's more, fast food can lower your good (LDL) cholesterol, further putting your heart and your health on the line. Make sure you practice these 9 Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol in 5 Seconds!

Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are additives used to maintain meat color and to inhibit bacterial growth. "Both chemicals can break down into nitrosamines, substances with the potential to cause cancer,'" says Santoro.

As we mentioned, fast food is typically loaded with sodium. One Big Mac has 970 mg of sodium, well over one-third of the daily recommended allowance. A high sodium intake can cause your bones to weaken, leading to possible osteoporosis, Shapiro warns.

A study by the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says 2-methylimidazole causes cancer in lab rats. That's bad because 2-methylimidazole is an ingredient in caramel coloring which is used in most dark-colored sauces and sodas. It gets worse. Another of this coloring agent's ingredients is 4-methylimidazole. Researchers tested the effects of 4-methylimidazole on lab rats and mice and concluded that there was "clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of 4-methylimidazole in male and female B6C3F mice."

With large portions that are often high in fat, fast foods like burgers, fries and milkshakes, fast food often delivers a hefty dose of calories. "Those large portions often leave you feeling full and lethargic," says Marisa Moore.

Anxiety and depression aren't the only mental effects that fast food can induce. Eating a diet high in artificial colors and preservatives may play a role, as well. A review of related research published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics indicates that many artificial colorings, along with the preservative sodium benzoate, increase hyperactivity. The bottom line: Skip the Golden Arches, stay at home and make The Best-Ever Burger For Weight Loss!

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What Fast Food Does to Your Body | Eat This Not That

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Fast food. It's cheap, convenient and marketed to us when we're young, in the hope that we'll be consumers for life. For many companies, that strategy has paid off. But there's a wrinkle in that math.

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What is fast food made of? Go to this link.

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What is fast food made of? Go to this link.

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https://www.thebetterhealthstore.com/043011_top-ten-toxic-ingredients-in-processed-food_01.html

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McDonald's sandwich: Big Mac® Nutrition Facts & Calories

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Nutrition facts and Information for McDonald's sandwich: Big Mac®