What is the effect of junk food on blood pressure? Junk food refers to foods that are high in calories from sugars and fats. Also, they are low in essential nutrients: vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
These foods often include items such as sugary snacks, fried fast foods, and carbonated beverages. They are typically convenient but offer little nutritional value.
Effect on blood pressure
For people with high blood pressure, consuming junk food can be particularly harmful. The high sodium content found in chips, processed meats, and canned soups, increase blood pressure. This happens because excessive sodium intake causes the body to retain more fluid. This increases blood volume and, consequently, blood pressure.
Moreover, junk foods are often rich in unhealthy fats and added sugars, contributing to weight gain and obesity. Both are significant risk factors for hypertension. The consumption of these foods can also lead to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, conditions that further elevate the risk of high blood pressure.
Types of Junk Food
Understanding the distinctions between various types of processed foods is crucial, especially for people managing hypertension. Here’s a breakdown of relevant concepts:
Processed Foods
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines processed foods as those that have undergone changes from their natural state. This includes alterations such as washing, cleaning, milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurizing, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing, packaging, or other procedures that modify the food from its original form.
Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations typically made entirely or predominantly from substances extracted from foods, derived from food constituents, or synthesized in laboratories.
These products often contain little to no whole foods and are designed to be convenient, hyper-palatable, and profitable. They commonly include additives like preservatives, colorings, flavorings, and emulsifiers to enhance taste, appearance, and shelf life.
Examples include sugary drinks, packaged snacks, instant noodles, and reconstituted meat products such as sausages and chicken nuggets.
Further relevant concepts
Empty Calories
Empty calories refer to foods and beverages that are high in energy but low in nutritional value. They provide calories primarily from added sugars and solid fats without significant amounts of essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, or fiber). Consuming too many empty calories can lead to weight gain and nutritional deficiencies.
Nutrient Density
Nutrient density is a measure of the nutrients a food provides relative to its calorie content. Foods high in nutrient density offer substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals. Also, they offer other beneficial substances with relatively few calories. In contrast, junk foods are typically low in nutrient density, offering minimal nutritional benefits despite their high calorie content.
Hyperpalatable Foods
Hyperpalatable foods are engineered to have heightened levels of sugar, fat, and sodium. This makes them exceptionally appealing and potentially leading to overeating. These foods can stimulate the brain’s reward system. This encourages compulsive consumption and contributes to dietary imbalances.
Food Additives
Food additives are substances added to foods to enhance flavor, appearance, or shelf life. Common additives in junk foods include preservatives, colorings, flavor enhancers, and emulsifiers. Many additives are considered safe. However, some have been associated with adverse health effects, especially when consumed in large quantities.
Dietary Patterns
Dietary patterns refer to the overall diet and the combinations of foods and beverages habitually consumed. A diet high in junk food is often characterized by excessive intake of calories, unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium, and a deficiency in essential nutrients. Such patterns are linked to various health issues. The list includes obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders.
Junk Food: Origins and Early Development
The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked the advent of mass-produced, convenient foods with minimal nutritional value. A notable example is Cracker Jack, a caramel-coated popcorn and peanut snack introduced at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair by Frederick and Louis Rueckheim. Its success exemplified the emerging trend of readily available, indulgent snacks.
Industrialization and the Rise of Processed Foods
Advancements in food processing and preservation during the early 20th century led to an increase in packaged and processed foods. The introduction of products like the Hershey Chocolate Bar in 1900 and Hostess CupCakes in 1919 reflected this shift. These items were designed for convenience and mass appeal, often prioritizing taste over nutritional content.
Post-War Expansion and Fast Food Proliferation
Following World War II, the expansion of fast-food chains like McDonald’s and the widespread availability of sugary soft drinks contributed to the normalization of junk food in daily diets. Little was known on the effect of junk food on blood pressure. The convenience and affordability of these options made them popular among a rapidly urbanizing population.
Emergence of the Term “Junk Food”
The term “junk food” is believed to have been coined in the early 1950s, with some sources attributing it to Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in 1972. It describes foods high in calories but low in nutritional value, often laden with sugars, fats, and salts.
Junk Food: Current Consumption Levels
United States
Fast food constitutes a substantial portion of the American diet. In 2022, the global fast food market achieved sales of $731.65 billion, with the U.S. leading in consumption. Individuals typically consume fast food 1-3 times per week, contributing to an annual expenditure of $160 billion. Notably, 37% of American adults consume fast food daily, and 83% of households do so weekly. Between 2001 and 2018, there was a modest decline in junk food consumption among both children and adults. However, the intake remains high, with junk foods contributing significantly to daily caloric intake.
United Kingdom
A study by Cambridge and Bristol universities found that two-thirds (66%) of British teenagers’ daily caloric intake comes from ultra-processed foods, including fizzy drinks, crisps, biscuits, breakfast cereals, and ready meals. These foods are associated with increased risks of obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
Junk Food Is Addictive
Recent research indicates that junk food can be as addictive as alcohol and tobacco. A study published in the British Medical Journal analyzed data from 281 reports across 36 countries, utilizing the Yale Food Addiction Scale to assess the addictiveness of certain foods. The findings revealed that sweet and salty snacks exhibit addiction levels comparable to alcohol and only slightly less than tobacco. Specifically, alcohol has an addiction level of 14%, tobacco 18%, while junk foods fall within a similar range.
