In McDonald’s push to make a fried-chicken sandwich that better competes with Chick-fil-A, it picked up something extra in the recipe: MSG, the flavor enhancer that has both fans and foes.
The world’s biggest restaurant chain is currently testing chicken sandwiches with monosodium glutamate, an ingredient that adds a savory taste but has also drawn health concerns from consumers. The additive is popping up beyond the new sandwich undergoing trials in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Houston, as well as appearing at other locations in tests of sausage, soup bases and different crispy-chicken fillets.
Chicken is a big deal in fast food. Americans eat more of it each year than any other meat, and consumption is growing. McDonald’s for years has also tried to make a fried-chicken sandwich to rival Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta chain with a cult following. Chick-fil-A also uses MSG in its classic chicken sandwich among other menu items, as does Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which last summer introduced a sandwich that sold out amid a social media frenzy.
“We are always listening to our customers regarding our menu offerings,” a spokeswoman for McDonald’s said in response to questions about its addition of MSG. Feedback and insights from the test will inform its future decisions, she said.
A representative for Chick-fil-A declined to comment while representatives at Popeyes didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Positive Response
MSG is a flavor enhancer that’s been used for decades after commercial production started in the early 20th century. It’s now commonly associated with takeout food and processed soups and meats. While the ingredient is generally safe, according to the Food and Drug Administration, its use is controversial and some people complain of bad side effects including headache, numbness and heart palpitations.
McDonald’s does not use MSG in products on its national menu currently and lists ingredients in its national menu on its website, according to the company.
McDonald’s customers in Houston and Knoxville have responded positively to the testing of its Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Deluxe Crispy Chicken sandwich, offered at more than 230 stores, according to the spokeswoman. The trial will continue for a few more weeks. It’s also testing a Portuguese sausage and a soup base with added MSG in select locations in Hawaii, as well as more crispy chicken fillets in Augusta, Georgia, and Seattle.
“We use real, quality ingredients to elevate the taste of our food so our customers all over the world can enjoy,” McDonald’s chief nutritionist Cindy Goody said in a statement. “We’re passionate about our food and take great care to offer delicious, quality menu options to our customers that are produced and sourced in a responsible way.”
In the past four years, the Chicago-based company has tried to clean up its ingredients including removing artificial preservatives from its chicken nuggets. It’s also moving its U.S. egg supply to cage free.
The potato has a history dating back to 1536 when the Spanish Conquistadors discovered the plant. The potato launched modern pesticide manufacture and use, and may double your risk of death when you eat fried potatoes more than twice a week. I'll give you strategies to enjoy potatoes without the risk.
June 28, 2017
Story at-a-glance
The potato has a long and illustrious history ranging from worship by the Incan tribe in Peru to launching the first use of artificial pesticide developed from arsenic
Recent research demonstrates a potential link between eating fried potatoes two or more times each week and doubling the risk of death from all causes; other research links white potatoes to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease
French fries and potato chips are also high in trans fat; sweet potatoes are your best option as they are high in prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract
By Dr. Mercola
The potato has had a long history. The Incan tribe from the highlands of Peru worshipped the potato and people from Ireland blamed the potato for the Great Famine when a blight destroyed potato crops across Europe.1 Today, the potato is the fourth largest food crop in the world.
The potato is a perennial plant that is high in starch and has more potassium than bananas.2 The vegetable is also source of vitamin C and B-6, and is sodium and fat free. However, while there are benefits to the vegetable, it is also high in carbohydrates; one medium potato contains 37 grams of carbohydrates. I recommend you limit your net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) to between 50 and 80 grams per day, depending upon your metabolism.
This means a single potato can be 45 percent to 75 percent of your daily net carb amount. The consumption of fresh potatoes has declined in the past 50 years, dropping from 61 pounds per year per person in 1970 to 36 pounds per year per person in 2008.3However, consumption of processed potatoes, such as french fries or potato chips, has increased over the same period.
Processed potatoes cooked at high heat contain byproducts that are known carcinogens and trans fats linked to a number of health conditions. Recent research has now found a potential link between fried potato consumption and increased risk of death.
The Lowly Potato
In 1536, the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in Peru and discovered potatoes. They brought them back to Europe, and before the end of the 16th century sailors were planting them along the northern coast of Spain.4 By 1589, they reached Ireland and over the next 40 years spread across the rest of Europe.
In the mid-1840s a blight on potatoes wiped out most of the crop in many countries across Europe, especially in Ireland where the potato had become a staple. Over the course of the blight, nearly 1 million people died from starvation or disease, and another 1 million people emigrated from Ireland to Canada and the U.S.5
Some believe Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the revolution, enjoyed the flower blossoms from the potato plant so much she put them in her hair and her husband, King Louis XVI, wore them in his buttonhole.6 Historians think this was an attempt to encourage farmers to plant more potatoes.
As Europe and North America adopted the potato, it initiated a template for an agriculture industrial complex, eventually leading to the use of intensive fertilizer and of arsenic as the first artificial pesticide to eradicate the Colorado potato beetle.7 Competition to manufacture potent arsenic blends opened the modern pesticide industry.
Fried Potatoes May Increase Your Risk of Death
McDonald's has sold millions more fries each year with the simple question, "Would you like fries with that?"8 Also known as an upsell, this simple technique has contributed to ever increasing waistlines for their customers. Now, researchers have found those who eat fried potatoes two or more times each week may double their risk of death from all causes.9
Eating potatoes that were not fried was not linked to an increase in mortality risk according to the researchers.10 The authors had been tracking nearly 4,400 people over eight years to study the effects of osteoarthritis when they decided to include an evaluation of the participants' intake of potatoes and the impact it had on their lives.
In analyzing the data from the study, the researchers found that people who ate fried potatoes had double the risk of death during the study. Fried potatoes included french fries, hash browns and potato chips. Any preparation of potatoes that required frying was included in the fried potato category in the study.
The data from the study was observational, which presents challenges to extrapolating the results. The gold standard for medical research is randomly controlled experimental studies. These are often costly, while observational studies can be completed more economically.11 However, observational studies may not enable researchers to accurately link cause and effect.
The study could correlate french fries with an increased risk of death, but the researchers could not assume that french fries caused the death. The researchers tried to control for variables, but as this was an observational study, other factors that may have been involved could have been missed.12
However, while this type of study precluded the ability to establish a link between an increased intake of french fries and death, performing a controlled study would be unethical as the researchers would have to ask participants to increase their consumption and then measure risk of death.
In 2014, Americans ate an average of 112 pounds of potatoes each year; 33 pounds were fresh potatoes and 78 pounds were processed.13 The potential danger of eating pounds of fried potatoes is generated by acrylamide, a chemical produced when the starchy potato is fried at high temperatures.
How Acrylamide Affects Your Health
Acrylamide, a byproduct of processing, is one of the most hazardous ingredients found in potato chips, hash browns and french fries. The browning process is what produces the chemical, so boiling and steaming doesn't create it. Beginning in 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended Americans reduce the amount of browned and overcooked foods that may be high in acrylamide.14
The FDA continues to recommend people cut back on the amount of foods high in acrylamide, as the chemical has been shown to cause cancer in animals and may also be responsible for causing cancer in humans.15 Acrylamide is also found in coffee, cereals, crackers, breads and dried fruit, to name a few. In fact, it may be found in up to 40 percent of calories eaten each day.16
In a study evaluating the amount of acrylamide found in chips, researchers found levels over the upper limit set by the European Union (EU) in 16 of the 92 brands tested.17 Currently, the EU set the upper limit at 1,000 micrograms per kilogram (mcg/kg) for crisps and they are considering lowering that benchmark to 750 mcg/kg, as acrylamide has been demonstrated and identified by the World Health Organization as a cancer risk.18
Although scientists knew the chemical was present in plastics and water treatment facilities, it wasn't until 2002 that scientists discovered it was present in foods. While acrylamide is a known carcinogen, links have been found between acrylamide-hemoglobin levels and estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.19 Higher levels of dietary acrylamide have also been linked to an increased risk of postmenopausal endometrial and ovarian cancer.20
Storing starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, in the refrigerator increases the amount of acrylamide produced if you do cook them at high heat or brown them.21 The process of increasing the amount of sugar in the potato that then produces more acrylamide during cooking is called "cold sweetening." Instead, raw potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark place above 42 F (6 C).
Trans Fat Found in More Than Potatoes
Acrylamide exposure is not the only risk associated with fried potatoes. Trans fat products are often used to fry the potatoes and chips, adding another layer of risk. This short video shows you some of the foods where trans fat may hide. There are two types of trans fats; one is made by hydrogenating vegetable oil in a chemical process and the other is found in natural meat products and has no harmful effects on your health.
Processed trans fats have been linked to heart disease,22 insulin sensitivity23 with type 2 diabetes,24 inflammation,25 damage to the lining of your blood vessels26 and cancer.27 Aside from french fries and potato chips, harmful trans fats may also be found in:28,29,30
Pie crust
Cakes and cookies
Biscuits
Breakfast sandwiches
Margarine
Crackers
Microwave popcorn
Cream filled candy
Fast food
Doughnuts
Frozen pizza
Cake mixes
Frostings
Pancakes and waffles
Nondairy creamer
Ice cream
Meat sticks
Frozen dinner
Packaged pudding
Creamy frozen drinks
Asian crunchy noodles
Eating Potatoes Linked With Negative Health Conditions
Steaming or boiling potatoes may reduce your exposure to acrylamide and trans fat, but the potato itself may still increase your risk for other health conditions. They are high in carbohydrates, creating a blood glucose spike and resulting release of insulin. One cup of potatoes has a similar effect on your blood sugar as a can of Coke.31 This roller coaster effect of rising and crashing blood sugar often leaves you feeling hungry within hours, leading to overeating, weight gain and an increasing risk of type 2 diabetes.32
In 2010, more than 2 in 3 adults were considered either overweight or obese33 and in 2014, 9.3 percent of the population had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.34 These numbers are continuing to rise each year, and both of these conditions contribute to heart disease, stroke and a higher risk of death.
A recent study published in The BMJ found that those who ate four servings per week of baked, boiled or mashed potatoes had an 11 percent increased risk of high blood pressure.
Those who ate french fries or potato chips four times a week raised their risk by 17 percent.35 High blood pressure in turn increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke and is linked to kidney disease and peripheral vascular disease. In other words, while potatoes carry some health benefits, they are best eaten baked or boiled in moderation.
Some French Fries Are Worse Than Others
Although all french fries are unhealthy, some are worse than others. In this short video, American journalist, author and activist Michael Pollan explains how "the desire for a certain kind of [french fry] leads to a certain kind of agriculture." McDonald's french fries are made with Russett Burbank potatoes, a particularly difficult potato to grow.
They must also be free of blemishes, so to eliminate the aphids that cause net necrosis in the potato, farmers will use an exceptionally toxic pesticide. It is so toxic they cannot venture into the fields for five days after spraying, and harvested potatoes have to off-gas in atmospheric-controlled sheds for six weeks before they're even safe to eat.
Your best potato choice are sweet potatoes. While they share the same name, they don't come from the same family of plants and have many more health benefits than the standard white potato you find in french fries, hash browns and mashed potatoes. Both white and sweet potatoes have the same number of grams of carbohydrates, but sweet potatoes have more than double the amount of fiber, thereby reducing the glycemic load on your body.
This fiber content may be referred to as digestive resistant fiber, an important prebiotic necessary for the nourishment of beneficial bacterial colonies in your gut. A large number of studies have linked an imbalanced gut microbiome with a number of diseases, including obesity, depression, anxiety and inflammatory diseases.36
Minimize Your Acrylamide and Trans Fat Exposure
Thus far, acrylamide has been found in foods heated to 250 F (120 C), which includes most processed foods. Basing your diet on whole foods, with a significant amount eaten raw, slightly cooked or steamed, is one of the best ways to avoid this cancer-causing byproduct. Raw foods are also recommended for general good health as it helps to optimize your nutrition.
For a step-by-step guide to making the transition to a healthier diet as simple as possible, see my optimized nutrition plan. For the times you would like to cook your food, keep the following tips in mind:
Frying, baking and broiling appear to be the worst offenders, while boiling or steaming appear to be safer
Longer cooking times increase acrylamide, so the shorter the duration of cooking, the better
Soaking raw potatoes in water for 15 to 30 minutes prior to roasting may help reduce acrylamide formation during cooking. Chilling the potatoes after cooking (and other starch-rich foods such as rice and pasta) will make it healthier by turning much of that starch into digestive-resistant starch that helps optimize your gut health. Potato salad is perhaps one of the healthiest ways to eat your potatoes
The darker brown or blackened the food, the more acrylamide it contains, so avoid overcooking your food
Acrylamide is found primarily in plant-based carb-rich foods such as potatoes and grain products (not typically in meat, dairy or seafood)
Healthier Potato Recipes
Sweet potatoes are a deliciously sweet and satisfying potato option you may eat baked or in a tasty potato salad.
Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
One sweet potato
Sea salt, coarse
Black pepper, ground
Olive oil (coconut oil can serve as an even healthier option as it withstands heat better)
Instructions
Heat the oven to 450 F. You may or may not peel the potato. If you don't peel the potato, clean the skin.
Cut the potato into large chunks about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick.
Place the sweet potato fries onto a baking sheet and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Next, drizzle the fries with about 1/8 cup of oil. You may add more if you wish.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Afterward, take them out and flip and return to oven for 10 minutes.
May take 1.5 hours to make and can serve 2 to 3 people.
2 1/2 pounds. sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon coconut oil
For the dressing
2 shallots (or half a small red onion), finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely sliced
small bunch chives, snipped into quarters or use mini ones
5 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 F. Toss the sweet potato chunks with coconut oil and salt and pepper; spread on a baking parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until tender and golden. Cool at room temperature.
When just about cool, whisk together the dressing ingredients and gently toss through the potato chunks — use your hands to avoid breaking the potatoes.
There’s no doubt that most hard-working Americans like their fast food. Even though they know the bare facts – fast food is high in fat, sodium and sugar and can cause diabetes, heart disease and obesity – they still eat tons of it every year.
A 2013 Gallup survey reported that eight in 10 Americans eat fast food monthly, and almost half confessed to eating it at least once a week.
While most of us are aware that every mouthful of a McDonald’s meal contains fat-promoting ingredients, we often don’t realize how many chemicals are in there too. Let’s look at 10 horrifying ingredients that should flip your appetite for a Big Mac. (RELATED: Learn more about toxic food ingredients at Ingredients.news)
1. Ammonium sulfate
Ammonium sulfate is an inorganic salt used as a fertilizer and flame retardant, and it is also added to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. But did you know that ammonium sulfate can also be found in a burger bun? This nasty chemical has been associated with irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, nausea and hormone disruption.
2. Silicone oil
If you are a chicken nuggets lover then you are a regular consumer of dimethylpolysiloxane, also known as silicone oil. Silicone oil is a synthetic material used to make contact lenses, caulking, silly putty and lubricants. The use of this non-biodegradable oil has been decreased in breast implants due to safety concerns.
3. Cysteine-L
Cysteine-L is an amino acid synthesized from human hair or duck feathers. It is used to flavor meat and soften bread and pastries. Consumption of cysteine-L has been linked to constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, fever, headaches, drowsiness, low blood pressure and liver problems.
4. TBHQ
TBHQ, or tertiary butylhydroquinone, is a petroleum-based additive found in cosmetic products and 18 different McDonald’s menu items. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified this chemical as totally safe for human consumption, long-term use can result in aggravation of ADHD symptoms, stomach cancer, damaged DNA and death.
5. Propylene glycol
Found in anti-freeze, e-cigarettes and fast food, propylene glycol can cause damage to the central nervous system and worsen existing allergies and eye and skin conditions.
6. Prescription drugs
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University found alarming levels of antidepressants and other prescription, over-the-counter and banned drugs in chicken feed and chicken products from fast food restaurants. Because McDonald’s doesn’t use organic chicken, their chicken products very likely contain traces of prescription medications or antibiotics.
7. Dimethylpolysiloxane
Dimethylpolysiloxane is often added to cooking oils used to prepare McDonald’s filet-o-fish, chicken nuggets and French fries. Besides being found in most fried fast foods, dimethylpolysiloxane is also utilized in the production of silly putty, contact lenses, caulking, shampoos and conditioners, breast implants, cosmetics, polishes and heat resistant tiles.
8. Carminic acid
Carminic acid is a red food dye synthesized by cochineal beetles. It is often added to fast food meats to give them a more vibrant and appealing color. Until 2009, carmine, cochineal extract or natural red 4, were classified as “natural dyes.” These days, however, the FDA requires carmine and cochineal extract to be explicitly identified in ingredient lists because they can cause severe allergic reactions in some people.
9. Cellulose
While cellulose may be a natural product produced from wood pulp, who wants to eat lots of indigestible wood fibers? Cellulose is added to nearly every fast food item as a way to add volume. It can be found in cheese, salad dressing, muffins and strawberry syrup, among many others. You name it, and chances are wood pulp is in there.
10. Silicon dioxide
Also known as silica or industrial sand, silicon dioxide is used to make glass, optical fibers and cement. The fast food industry often adds it to meat and sauces to keep them from clumping together. In an industrial setting, workers handling silicon dioxide wear hazmat suits and masks. Nonetheless, the FDA sees no harm in adding this industrial chemical to your burger bun.
Still lovin’ it? Next time you are looking for a quick meal, you may want to think twice before heading to the closet McDonald’s restaurant.
McDonald's announced new changes to their menu in response to declining sales. While these modifications appear to improve the nutritional value of their food, it may be wise to take a second look. August 17, 2016
Story at-a-glance
Following declining sales and the appointment of a new chief executive, McDonald’s has begun the process of improving their nutritional image
Removing high-fructose corn syrup and antibiotics important to human medicine, remodeling their restaurants and adding breakfast to their all-day menu are some of the changes
While these changes may alter perception of the product, the foods are still highly processed, high in carbohydrates and may contribute to a decline in your health
By Dr. Mercola
McDonald’s food chain has been in the news after recently revealing 17 menu changes in response to customer complaints and declining sales. On the surface these changes appear to improve the quality of their menu items, but is it too little, too late?
McDonald’s highest selling burger,1 Big Mac, with a side order of fries and a coke, together deliver a whopping 940 calories packed with 123 grams of carbohydrates.2Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t end with the meal at McDonald’s.
Receiving more than a day’s worth of carbohydrates in one meal may trigger a drop in blood sugar in the following two to four hours, increasing hunger and the potential for overeating. The high carbohydrate load may increase your insulin resistance, prompting metabolic syndrome and may lead to weight gain.
The development of the fast food chain began decades ago in response to the ability to integrate mass production and food supply to a large geographical area.
The first fast food restaurants opened their doors in the early 1920s (A&W, 1919, and White Castle, 1921) but the industry didn’t flourish until McDonald’s revolutionized their food preparation and opened chains across the U.S.
From their first restaurant in 1940 to the first franchise in 1954, the McDonald brothers worked to streamline their operation, decrease their overhead and increase their returns. Today, the chain is struggling to change perception and align more closely with health conscious consumers.
Changes in Response to Sales
Declining sales in the past two years prompted many of the newly announced changes to the menu at McDonald’s, and the changes have paid off. Sales rose 5.4 percent in the first quarter of this year and a quarterly profit of 35 percent compared to the same quarter last year.3
However, the health of the organization does not equate to healthier menu options for you. On August 1, 2016, McDonald’s announced several changes that affect nearly half of their menu. These include:4
•Removing artificial preservatives from items on the menu including Chicken McNuggets, omelets and scrambled eggs.
•Serving chicken not treated with antibiotics important to human medicine.
Mike Andres, president of McDonald's U.S.A., says the company has been taking a hard look at the preparation and foods being served in the fast food chain. McDonald's had good reasoning for using ingredients such as HFCS and artificial preservatives, but their customers disliked them.
Quoted in The New York Times, Andres said: "Why take a position to defend them if consumers are saying they don't want them?"5 And Marion Gross, senior vice president of McDonald's North America supply chain, was quoted in Reuters, saying:
"We know that they don't feel good about high-fructose corn syrup so we're giving them what they're looking for instead."
Their effort to improve the image of the food chain prompted the company to file a trademark for the tagline, “The Simpler, The Better.”6 McDonald’s is emphasizing fresh cracked eggs in the Egg McMuffins, 100 percent “real” beef in their burgers and chicken now made with “simple pantry ingredients.”7
Antibiotic Use in Chickens
In 2015, McDonald’s released a statement regarding antibiotic use in chickens and a promise to “stop using antibiotics important to human medicine” by 2017.8 In August 2016 they announced they had achieved this goal one year earlier than expected.9However, in small print, at the bottom of the press release, is this statement:
“Farmers still use ionophores, a class of antibiotics that are not prescribed to people, to help keep chickens healthy.”
Ionophores are a class of antibiotics used exclusively in animals and more commonly in ruminant animals such as cows. The use of the antibiotic in poultry farming is to control parasitic illnesses in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), where disease spreads quickly.
The most common form of ionophores antibiotic used in cattle is monensin, and those used in poultry farming include monensin, bambermycin, narasin and salinomycin.10
However, ionophores are used exclusively to prevent parasite infections in poultry and not as an antibiotic, including therapeutically when a chicken is sick.11
Like antibiotics, the parasite coccidia that ionophores are used to prevent, often become resistant to the drug over time. In beef, the drug is used to alter the gut flora in an attempt to improve nutrient utilization, or increase weight gain and the amount of meat per animal.12
In one study performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Cornell University, researchers demonstrated the monensin used in the beef industry and the selection of specific bacteria resistant to monensin resulted in a 32-fold increase in resistance to bacitracin, used in human medicine.13,14
Bacitracin was the only antibiotic to which the test bacteria developed a resistance. Ionophores are not used in human medicine because they are lethal to humans.15This caveat appears to be important to poultry and beef farmers, but the effects the drug has on the meat and the end consumer are not well documented.
Attempting to explain how continued use of ionophores would not affect antibacterial resistance, microbiologist Dr. Charles Hofacre, a veterinarian and professor at the University of Georgia, made a sweeping statement in Poultry Health Today, saying:16
“The poultry industry has been using ionophores for over 40 years. We’d have seen a lot more resistance with antibiotics used in people if ionophores caused resistance to other classes of antibiotics.”
Butter and Eggs Are Important Ingredients
Two other major changes McDonald’s has either pledged to make in 2016, or has already changed, are switching to more natural products in their foods, such as butterand eggs, and replacing HFCS with sugar.17
These are small steps in the right direction; however, neither the butter nor the eggsare sourced from organic, free-range animals. Not all butter and eggs are created equally.
Every meal you feed your cells has a compound effect on your long-term health. The nutritional value in butter and eggs from CAFO raised animals is significantly lower than pastured, organically raised animals.
McDonald’s admits that these changes increase the cost of producing the food, but said they would not pass those additional costs to the consumer “partly because a decline in commodity prices has reduced some food expenses.”18
Conventionally raised poultry and cows are typically fed genetically engineered (GE) feed laced with food additives. What the animal produces is only as good as what they are fed. According to Food Babe:19
"Conventional dairy cow feed is sometimes fortified with additional protein, omega-3 fatty acids and CLA from GMO rapeseed (canola) because the cows are not getting these nutrients naturally from the grass.
GMO alfalfa hay is also commonly fed to cows. So basically, conventionally raised cows are almost entirely getting their food from GMOs — food that was created in a laboratory, that hasn't been tested long term, but has produced horrific results in several alarming animal studies."
HFCS and Sugar in the Buns
HFCS is more toxic than refined sugar. McDonald’s is acknowledging the need to change as their customers are demanding a menu offering more nutritionally dense products and foods with ingredients you can pronounce. In other words, more whole foods and less processed, preservative-laden, chemicals.
HFCS is high in net carbohydrates. While HFCS is not healthy, it’s not just the amount of carbohydrates you eat, but also the kind that is reflected on your bathroom scale and that creates insulin resistance.
HFCS has been found to promote weight gain, adversely impact the rate of reproduction in animals and cause premature death.20,21
The use of HFCS was also possibly financially driven as it is cheaper to manufacture and use than it is to pay government tariffs on the import of cane sugar.22 HFCS is also sweeter than most sugars, contributing to the reduced cost of using the product, and may contain mercury from the production process.
The switch to sugar in their buns will not appreciably reduce the overall grams of carbohydrates in the product or the number of calories. While removing HFCS is a healthier choice, it is only slightly healthier as the product continues to spike your insulin, increase your risk for weight gain and increase the inflammatory process in your body.23
Foods high in refined sugars and carbohydrates are not part of a healthy diet and may be the culprit behind your challenge with weight management. A high glycemic index from the carbohydrates cause a quick surge in blood sugar, which is stored in muscle and turned to fat when it isn’t used.
Marketing Requirements Are Driving This Train
Stephen Dutton, food analyst at food industry Euromonitor International, quoted in The Washington Post, said:24 "It's more about perception about the actual healthfulness of the product rather than its nutrition value."
And perception drives sales for the company. Steve Easterbrook became the chief executive at McDonald’s in March 2015, and since then the company has been making changes to their product line. Several changes include serving breakfast all day, expanding into self-serve kiosks and interior remodels, none of which change the calorie count or nutritional value of the food served.
These changes are further evidence of major chains trying to improve the image of their restaurants, against their competition. Other chains are exploring alternative food options, such as the Waffle Taco mash-up from Taco Bell and Burger King’s Mac n’ Cheetos, the addition of more real egg to the Dunkin’ Donuts’ egg patty, or actual pepper instead of “black pepper flavor” at Taco Bell.25
While McDonald’s is attempting to change perception by making small improvements to their food supply and remodeling their restaurants, it hasn’t changed the carbohydrate count, calories or lack of nutritional value in the food served. Your best bet continues to be eating real whole food.
Whole Food Choices
In this interview, Australian chef Pete Evans talks about how delicious and easy it can be to eat a healthy diet to improve your health and daily life. Planning your meals at the beginning of your week and spending some time doing food preparation will help you stick to a healthy diet.
I also recommend keeping an assortment of your favorite fresh raw veggies in the refrigerator, and raw nuts for snacking, since the more raw foods you can incorporate into your diet, the higher your nutrient intake. I personally aim to consume about 80 percent of my diet raw.
By the way, it's a myth that eating healthy, natural foods is prohibitively expensive. In fact, consuming a fresh, organic diet doesn’t have to cost much more than a diet filled with processed foods and junk foods. For tips on which foods aren’t important to purchase organic, see my previous article titled, “12 Foods You Don’t Have to Buy Organic.”
Nothing less than the very future of humanity is at stake if the insanity of denatured, processed foods continues unabated. In the United States, fast food is available just about everywhere, including hospitals and schools. This type of diet:
•Exponentially increases your risk of obesity and diabetes
•Is loaded with dangerous additives like trans fats, HFCS and MSG
•Contains GE ingredients
•Lacks the nutrients your body needs to thrive, let alone maintain health
It’s everything your body doesn’t need. It’s time to realize that the average diet has shifted too far from what your body requires, and that there are no magic pills to save you from the ramifications. You’ll begin to experience improved health when you return to a diet of locally grown, fresh, whole and natural foods.
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