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What's the harm from chips? Why are chips harmful to the human body?

In stores, entire departments are dedicated to the popular “snacks” - potato chips. Advertising on TV screens every day convinces young people that a party without chips wouldn't be as fun. We are offered to recharge ourselves with “energy” of very dubious origin. And everyone seems to know about the dangers of chips, but they continue to consume them in incredible quantities. And their main consumers are teenagers and young adults. So what are potato chips? And can they be useful?

Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you what makes you sick

Hippocrates

Compound

These words can fully be attributed to the product that today is called potato chips. In fact, if I may say so, this delicacy has long had nothing in common with how it was produced in the century before last. Back then it was really thin slices of potatoes fried in oil and salt. Today it is modified starch, wheat flour and many chemical additives to make chips dense, give them the desired taste, and extend shelf life. To illustrate the full range of harmful substances, we will show what is added to ready-made chips to give them flavor.

Table: substances contained in chips and their effect on the body

Chemical additives	Impact on the body
Lactose	Contraindicated for people who are allergic to it.
Monosodium glutamate (flavor enhancer) – E 621	Causes allergies, in large quantities leads to thinning of the retina and can cause blindness.
Sodium guanylate (flavor enhancer) – E 627	Dangerous for newborns, contraindicated as a supplement for children under 12 years of age, asthmatics and people suffering from gout.
Sodium inosinate (flavor softener) – E 631	Causes sudden changes in blood pressure in hypertensive patients, contraindicated in asthma and gout.
Calcium orthophosphate (acidity regulator) – E 641	A little-studied substance that causes diseases of the digestive system. Acts as a carcinogen and promotes the accumulation of bad cholesterol.
Sodium orthophosphate (acidity regulator) – E 339	With constant use, it leaches calcium from bone tissue, changes the metabolism of mineral salts, and causes disorders of the digestive system.

This table lists the most dangerous synthetic additives. Of course, there are standards for their safe use. But, if you consider the quantities in which people eat potato chips, one can only guess how much of this chemical accumulates in their bodies every day. Moreover, three of them - taste enhancers - are contained in almost all chips in their entirety.

Let's continue the “sorrowful” list of what potato chips contain. For their production the following are used:

dehydrated or frozen mashed potatoes;
wheat gluten;
soy and potato starch (often modified);
unrefined oil - corn, soybean, palm, less often - sunflower.

The reasons for using such raw materials are quite understandable - reducing the cost of production. Whereas in stores, potato chips are not cheap, and they are also declared as a natural product. But the use of cheap raw materials turned out to be insufficient, and manufacturers began to save on oil, or rather, on its quality. What does this mean for the consumer? But here’s the thing: when frying ready-made chips, the oil is rarely changed. In addition, the ingredients used form extremely dangerous compounds when heated, in particular acrylamide, a substance found in all fast food that undergoes heat treatment. It is formed when carbohydrates are heated to 120°C. Acrylamide is a carcinogen.

A dose of up to 1 mcg per day is considered relatively safe. It is contained in only 0.5 g of chips. This means that its content even in a small pack (28 g) of this product exceeds the maximum permissible level by 56 times!

And now a few words about nutritional value. Chips are a high-calorie product. The range of KBJU values is taken for the most popular varieties.

Table: nutritional value of potato chips

Even the most “low-calorie” chips contain almost a quarter of the body’s daily need for energy resources. But the most unpleasant thing is that these calories are “empty”. They do not provide the body with the substances it needs to function.

Are chips healthy?

We believe that the answer is obvious. We can only talk about the safety of their use, but not about the benefits. Without much harm to the body, you can eat no more than one small pack of chips 2 times a month. There should be no talk of eating this product every day (if you care about your health, of course). And again I would like to turn to the words of Hippocrates: “Most diseases come from what we introduce inside ourselves.”

It’s better to “introduce yourself inside” with homemade chips, which you can easily make with your own hands. Then there will definitely be no harm from them, and even some benefit is possible.

Harm

So what harm do potato chips cause? Their regular excessive use is extremely dangerous for children and adolescents. Harmful substances accumulating in their bodies can cause dangerous diseases in a few years:

obesity as a result of metabolic disorders;
threat of diabetes mellitus (because the pancreas suffers greatly);
gastritis, ulcers and other gastrointestinal diseases;
the formation of malignant tumors;
increased cholesterol levels and early development of cardiovascular diseases.

Constant consumption of chips can reduce the level of testosterone in the body, deteriorate the quality of sperm and disrupt reproductive function.

Chips also have a negative effect on women. Their constant use can subsequently affect the production of breast milk.

Trans isomers of fatty acids contained in potato chips lead to nervous system disorders and reduce immunity.

Contraindications

A categorical contraindication for consuming industrially produced chips is childhood, pregnancy and lactation. People suffering from:

diabetes mellitus;
heart and vascular diseases;
gout;
asthma;
allergies;
diseases of the intestines and stomach;
obesity.

Can you gain weight from chips?

Undoubtedly! Moreover, this is inevitable if you eat them every day. Starch, which accounts for all grams of carbohydrates, is quickly processed by the body into glucose, and its excess is deposited in the liver. When she accumulates the supply of glycogen she needs, they will begin to turn into fat deposits.

Chips during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Having become pregnant and deciding to keep the child, any sane woman should reconsider her diet and exclude junk food from it. This primarily applies to products such as chips. Unfortunately, many are unable to deny themselves the pleasure and continue to eat them at least occasionally. In this case, it is useful to know what consequences such weakness can lead to:

chips will contribute to unnecessary weight gain;
they will cause heartburn and increased toxicosis in the early stages;
a high salt content will cause the formation of edema in the later stages and provoke a rise in blood pressure.

In addition, the placenta is not a reliable barrier to the penetration of harmful chemicals contained in chips to the baby. At the same time, every woman knows how sometimes during pregnancy the body requires some kind of “nasty”. Such an unbearable desire can be satisfied with a small amount of chips (a few pieces), and then only in the third trimester and in the absence of swelling and problems with heartburn. It's better to cook them at home.

During breastfeeding, potato chips should be completely excluded from the diet. With mother's milk, the baby receives the full dose of harmful substances that they contain. The result is indigestion and allergic reactions.

Eating chips by a nursing mother can cause Quincke's edema in the child - the most severe reaction to food allergies.

If you are not able to completely give up this unhealthy food, you can allow yourself to eat chips only after the child is 4 months old and he does not have any allergies. The permissible dose is 100 g per day and no more than 2 times a month.

Chips in children's diet

Once they try chips, children very quickly become hooked on them and often beg their parents for them along with sweets. Parents, unable to refuse their beloved child, follow his lead. This is completely unacceptable, because the consequences of eating chips for a child are unpredictable. There is nothing in them that would be useful for the child’s body, and we described the harm from them in previous chapters. The worst thing is that constant excessive consumption of chips can slow down a child’s growth and provoke gastritis, heart problems and obesity. Ideally, children under school age should not even suspect the existence of chips.

Chips addiction

Manufacturers add chemical flavor enhancers to chips. As a result, natural food is perceived as completely bland. The brain, accustomed to taste additives, begins to demand the food that a person enjoys. This inevitably leads to food addiction. It, of course, cannot be compared with a drug, but it can be quite difficult for some people to get rid of it.

Can acne and diarrhea be the result of eating chips?

How can they! The food additive E 339 (acidity regulator) causes digestive disorders with diarrhea. With constant consumption of chips, all organs of the gastrointestinal tract are affected, so loose stools may be the result of a disruption of the liver and pancreas.

As for acne, the face primarily reflects disruption of the intestines and metabolism. Chips are a fatty food, and it leads to increased oiliness of the skin, disruption of the sebaceous glands and, as a result, to the appearance of acne.

How to make potato chips at home?

If you want to treat yourself to crunchy slices, make your own chips. This process is long and laborious, but it happens that “hunting is worse than captivity.” So, two ways to make homemade chips.

Chips in boiling oil

To prepare one serving you will need 1 potato. It is advisable that it be without eyes, otherwise the slices will turn out uneven and ugly. Peeled potatoes are cut into thin slices, preferably with a vegetable slicer. Then they need to be washed to remove excess starch in cold water - this way they will not stick together when frying. Place the washed potatoes on a paper towel to dry and at this time put a container of vegetable oil on the fire. There should be enough of it to cover the potatoes by 2 - 3 cm. Add the slices one at a time to the boiling oil. Cooking time is determined by the appearance of the chips. If they have acquired a golden color, it means they are ready. Drain the grease by placing the chips on a paper towel and add salt to taste.

You can use any spices, but it is better to avoid them, especially if you are preparing a treat for children.

Chips in the oven

Preparation for baking is similar to that described in the first recipe. Cover the baking tray with baking paper and grease it with vegetable oil. Sprinkle the slices themselves with oil and mix gently. The chips should be placed on a sheet so that they do not touch each other. Place the baking sheet in a hot oven and bake the potatoes at 200°C until golden brown. Salt the finished chips to taste. They turn out to be less fatty, so they are preferable for children.

Video: 10 facts about chips

Returning to Hippocrates, let's say that the wisdom of life is to know moderation in everything. Take care of yourself and the health of your children. There is nothing more important in life than their well-being.

Chips are sold everywhere; you can buy them at a roadside stall, a large supermarket or a small village store. Income from the sale of this product has not fallen for many years, because it is believed that it is satisfying, inexpensive and very convenient. Many people have heard that there is no benefit from such a product, but few people know how harmful chips are and what damage they cause to health. But you need to know this, first of all, in order to preserve the health of your children and grandchildren. Children need to be taught from an early age that it is better to eat an apple or banana than an attractive package of chips.

What is the product made from?

Some buyers naively believe that chips are made from thin slices of natural potatoes and do not pose any health hazard. Indeed, after tasting the thin and crispy slices, you might think that these are ordinary vegetable pieces that were fried in a special way. In fact, this opinion is deeply erroneous. Real potato snacks were sold on store shelves 10-15 years ago, and since then the food industry has stepped forward.

Modern chips are unhealthy and are a unique culinary chemical substance that consists of regular wheat flour and a modified soy product. Once in the liver, starch is converted into glucose, which is gradually deposited and causes natural obesity.

Many teenagers cannot live without Lay's chips, which are replete with a variety of flavors. This product, in addition to soy starch, contains modified potato flour, which has a negative effect on a weak child’s body.

What is the harm of the product?

Regular consumption of chips leads to bad consequences. Despite the small weight of the product in each pack, the crispy plates are characterized by high calorie content, which sooner or later leads to excess weight gain. Snacks combined with soda or beer lead to obesity especially quickly.

Doctors conducted various medical studies and found that daily consumption of chips leads to the following health disorders:

heartburn often appears;
acute or chronic gastritis may develop;
chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract appear.

If chips are consumed for a long time, plaques form on the walls of blood vessels, which interfere with normal blood flow. In addition, they contain a large amount of carcinogens that lead to the development of cancer. An excess of salt in a product can cause metabolic disorders in the body and addiction. It is especially dangerous for small children, pregnant women and overweight people to eat chips.

Chips are a product that is fried in oil. But to make snacks, they often use low-grade and unrefined fats, and even fry several portions in one volume of oil. Chips burn well because they are saturated with fat, but do not forget that when eaten, this harmful fat is deposited in the body.

What harmful substances are contained in crispy plates?

The most harmful substances found in chips are trans fatty acids. These substances have a toxic effect on the human body and cause a number of disorders:

The likelihood of cardiovascular disease increases.
Metabolism is disrupted. In women, these substances accumulate in the mammary glands, and in men in the genitals, hence the oncological diseases of these organs.
With regular use, there is a high risk of infertility, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease or complete blindness.
Immunity steadily decreases.

Acrylamide, which is also found in such products, is considered no less harmful. This chemical compound causes malfunction of many organs and systems. Thanks to acrylamide, the following conditions develop:

liver and kidney failure;
disorders of the central nervous system;
oncological diseases of various types;
there may be gene mutations.

The harm of chips for children is obvious, therefore, before you fall for the persuasion of a child and buy him a pack of crispy products, it is worth remembering the two toxic substances that are in a beautiful pack.

If you eat a lot of snacks at once, and not of the best quality, you can get poisoned. Symptoms of chip poisoning look like this:

digestion is upset, which is manifested by nausea, vomiting and persistent diarrhea;
you feel heaviness and bloating in your stomach;
headache, the temperature may rise slightly.

With severe abuse of this product, liver function may be impaired, which is manifested by jaundice of the skin and sclera.

Undoubtedly, at least once, everyone has tried such a dish as chips - one of the most popular snacks in the world. Chips were invented quite by accident by Indian George Crum, who worked in a fashionable restaurant in America. One day, a customer of this restaurant complained that the “french fries” were cut too thick. J. Crum played a prank on the client by cutting paper-thin potato slices, fried them and served them to the table. The dish turned out to be incredibly tasty, however, despite the fact that chips are famous for their excellent taste, the harmfulness of chips is an irrefutable fact.

Chips lovers are people of different age categories. Young people are ardent fans of chips, especially teenagers and children, who do not think about the fact that chips harm the health of the body. The harm of chips is absolutely undeniable and visible. People who regularly eat chips gain weight very quickly, which leads to obesity.

The health hazard and harm of chips was proven by the US Attorney's Office. Questions have been raised about the occurrence of cancerous tumors that are associated with the consumption of chips, which are rich in harmful substances - carcinogens. In this regard, global manufacturers of chips and fries are paying huge fines to America.

What's in the chips?

What are chips made from that they are so dangerous to health?

It is well known that the production of most types of chips is based on ordinary potatoes. It can be prepared in two ways: by slicing peeled tubers followed by heat treatment or by preparing crackers from potato powder. This vegetable itself is not only not harmful, but also healthy: it contains vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, B9, PP, K and calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus. The majority is water - up to 75 percent. Potatoes are one of the most accessible products; they can be purchased at any time, are easy to store and do not require special processing.

It is not surprising that the production of chips is such a profitable business: the raw materials cost a penny and can be stored for a long time without maintaining special conditions, the process itself is extremely simple and does not require expensive equipment: cutting - heating to high temperature - flavoring additives - packaging - and now bags of chips are lying on the counter.

It turns out that chips are made not only from potatoes, as we used to think, but from corn and wheat flour, soy starch is added, in the body it is converted into glucose, which contributes to obesity. Various synthetic ingredients are added. Most often, chips are cooked in low-quality oil or fat, which results in the production of carcinogens that are harmful to health.

The technology used to prepare chips is not always followed; the frying time for chips is no more than 30 seconds, otherwise hydrogenated fat is produced, which contributes to the production of cholesterol. Fat makes up a third of the chips. This provokes the occurrence of various types of diseases.

And to impart certain taste qualities to the chips, an amount of industrial chemicals is added, sometimes exceeding the weight of the potato itself: these are dyes, flavor enhancers, and flavors identical to natural ones. Most of them are approved by food experts, but when checking the percentage, they do not take into account the fact that consumers, especially young people, use them as food regularly, which leads to dire consequences: digestive disorders and, as a consequence, metabolism, allergies, and decreased immunity. In addition, these substances affect tooth enamel, destroying it; microscopic particles remain on the surface of the esophagus, causing bad breath, which many unsuccessfully try to combat with chewing gum and sprays.

Diseases from chips

The components contained in chips contribute to the deterioration of male sexual function and the quality of semen produced in men, increasing the risk of breast cancer in women. Of course, this negatively affects the conception of healthy children. Breastfeeding mothers who eat chips have poor milk production.

In addition, eating chips can lead to a disorder of the nervous system, which is expressed in sweating and weakness of the limbs. This is due to the fact that chips contain a large amount of toxins that contribute to the destruction of the liver and kidneys. Also, eating chips negatively affects the immune system, as they contain trans isomers of fatty acids.

British scientists claim that among lovers of crispy slices, the mortality rate from myocardial infarction is much higher, since the chips contain trans isomers of fatty acids. Chips lovers do not think about the fact that their favorite treat can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

If you really love eating chips and can’t give them up forever, then at least take them without beer or other drinks. To ease the condition of the body after taking such a “wonderful” product, drink a glass of kefir. This will help restore the stomach microflora. In addition, chips lovers can prepare them at home. For people who suffer from stomach diseases, chips are contraindicated.

Potato chips are popular, tasty, relatively cheap and even stylish. The latter, of course, does not apply to bags of crispy potatoes a la the Soviet Union, but it is quite suitable for the advertised Pringles or Layz.
Unfortunately, all of the above is where the benefits of chips end. Is it also worth mentioning that sometimes a pack of chips can really help out when you don’t have time for a full meal and you feel very hungry.
But let's compare all the mentioned beneficial properties of chips with the harm that they can cause to human health with frequent and uncontrolled consumption. And then everything will fall into place.

The harm of chips

Chips are very unhealthy.
1. Potato chips are not always potatoes.
Cheap chips are often made from starch or flour, usually corn.
First of all, this is no longer the product for which we pay money.
Secondly, a large amount of starch fried in oil is a vigorous mixture of fast forms of carbohydrates and unhealthy fats. Once in the intestines, these carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, absorbed into the blood and very quickly increase blood sugar levels. To cope with a sharp rise in blood sugar, glucose will be quickly converted into fat and stored in fat stores. And body weight, of course, will increase.
A large amount of fat, in addition to its direct effect on the amount of fat in the body, is dangerous due to its negative impact on blood cholesterol levels. The more fats enter the bloodstream from food, the higher the level of bad cholesterol. And the higher the risk of getting vascular atherosclerosis.
2. The oil in which chips are fried is a dangerous carcinogen.
All chips are fried in vegetable oil. On the one hand, this gives a unique taste. But on the other hand, it fills the body with dangerous carcinogens.
The oil is not changed often when frying chips. Therefore, with each new portion of frying, the amount of carcinogens in this oil increases. Some of them are guaranteed to end up with the chips in the bag that we buy in the store.
3. The oil in which the chips are fried contains trans fats.
Vegetable oils that are heated become essentially trans fats. Their configuration changes, and the benefits for the body change.
Most vegetable oils are beneficial for the body. On the contrary, trans fats are extremely harmful.
When consuming trans fats, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, oncology, diabetes and other diseases sharply increases.
4. Chips contain excess salt.
In the diet of modern man there is a huge excess of the so-called. hidden salt. The salt that is present in many products. Chips are no exception.
Almost any chips contain a huge amount of salt, without which they are not as tasty.
And salt causes fluid retention in body tissues and a serious slowdown in metabolism. You definitely won't be able to lose weight with chips.
5. Chips are guaranteed to be addictive.
Almost every chip contains a substance called monosodium glutamate. This is a flavor enhancer that allows the manufacturer to easily add almost any flavor to the product. If we want chips with sour cream, please, if we want them with bacon, no problem. Probably the only natural chips are those with salt. And even then, they also most likely add monosodium glutamate.
Monosodium glutamate causes very rapid and persistent addiction to the product. This would not be a particular problem if we were not talking about chips - an extremely high-calorie and absolutely useless product.
And if children become addicted to chips, then even they, with their very fast metabolism, will soon become overweight, turning into obesity.
So, it’s better to think a hundred times about what you can replace a pack of chips with before you start crunching on them.

Chips are considered one of the most popular products among young people, while they invariably take first place in ratings of products harmful to human health. What is the reason for such high demand combined with the low nutritional quality of this product?

It is well known that the production of most types of chips is based on ordinary potatoes. It can be prepared in two ways: by slicing peeled tubers followed by heat treatment or by preparing crackers from potato powder. This vegetable itself is not only not harmful, but also healthy: it contains vitamins, , , , , , as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus. The majority is water - up to 75 percent. Potatoes are one of the most accessible products; they can be purchased at any time, are easy to store and do not require special processing.

At first glance, it seems that chips cannot contain anything harmful to the body, because in essence they are the same product as boiled potatoes, which many families cook almost every day. However, everything is not so simple: potato tubers contain a large amount of starch - a substance that is converted into glucose in the body, which makes the product satiating. When rapidly heated during the production of starch chips, acrylamide, which is a very dangerous carcinogen, regular consumption of which in large quantities leads to cancer. This substance is especially dangerous for women - because under its influence, tumors arise specifically in the female genital organs: the uterus and ovaries.

Acrylamide attracted the attention of scientists only recently, but the results of the experiments (they were carried out on rats) made a great impression and made them think: many European countries began to introduce restrictions on the content of this substance in products, which applies not only to chips, but also to nuts, crackers and other products , which is produced using rapid heating and frying.

Unfortunately, there are other reasons why chips are harmful to the body: to save money, the manufacturer often uses the same oil for new batches of potatoes, this gives it a bitter taste and negatively affects human health by increasing cholesterol in the blood.

But that’s not all: to impart certain taste qualities, an amount of industrial chemicals is added to the chips, sometimes exceeding the weight of the potato itself: these are dyes, flavor enhancers, and flavors identical to natural ones. Most of them are approved by food experts, but when checking the percentage, they do not take into account the fact that consumers, especially young people, use them as food regularly, which leads to dire consequences: digestive disorders and, as a consequence, metabolism, allergies, and decreased immunity. In addition, these substances affect tooth enamel, destroying it; microscopic particles remain on the surface of the esophagus, causing bad breath, which many unsuccessfully try to combat with chewing gum and sprays.

Statistics of adolescent diseases show that a negligent attitude to nutrition affects the health of young people: the age of people suffering from severe or chronic forms of diseases of the digestive system is growing all the time: excessive consumption of products with a large number of dyes and flavors brings children from 14 to 15 years old into this group , although severe forms were previously rare in people under 30 years of age. But an unhealthy digestive system cannot function normally, which affects other vital organs: the liver, heart, blood vessels, nerves; without normal, nutritious nutrition, a person becomes lethargic, gets tired more often and is susceptible to depression: whole life changes rapidly.

What can you do to avoid these problems? Is it really possible to give up chips or nuts and crackers forever? Of course, you shouldn’t take such a radical approach to the matter, and for many this is not feasible: after all, it is not always possible to otherwise refresh yourself at work or during breaks between school hours. However, it must be remembered that the cause of diseases is primarily regular consumption: once or twice is not scary, but several times a day has irreversible consequences. In addition, do not forget about the label - sometimes it’s enough to read the ingredients of the product to refuse another pack of chips, take an apple with you for breakfast instead of nuts, and croutons can be quickly and easily prepared at home.

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