Entry #9 - To Process or Not?

 Welcome back!

 

We have all heard that processed foods are bad. Adding chemicals to food and other additives to help them have longer shelf life. But not all processed foods are bad. Let's take a dive into how some foods are prepared for consumption.

"Raw cashews in their shell contain urushiol, a toxin that causes a delayed allergic skin reaction similar to that caused by poison ivy." Eating unprocessed cashews is not great and can cause more harm than good. The process of these nuts is as simple as roasting, shelling, drying, peeling, grading, and quality controls to ensure the safety of consumers. It may not be simple, but these steps are necessary to be able to be edible. There is also the processing needed for olives. Olives straight from the tree can be really bitter. To help make them more enjoyable, they must be cured using brine, dry salt, water, or lye treatments.

While not all processed foods are bad there are still those that are bad and can cause many health problems. Cardiovascular disease is the top killer. Also, Cancer comes behind not far from CVD. Foods with additives and extra sugar that aren't natural are the culprits of these terrible diseases. Overly processed foods cut down on nutrients, making them less healthy. 

    Read more on this article, Why processed foods have a bad reputation – and what industry can do to educate (foodmanufacture.co.uk). With this information, some may see some stuff a little differently. What are your thoughts on these processed foods? Until next time, bye!