20 Daily Products that Are Killing You Slowly

Staying healthy is tricky in a world where food creators continually advertise everything as healthy, even if it's not. Getting cancer, becoming obese, or getting arthritis are all diseases that could stem from our diets.

It's easy to open your fridge, look around, and rummage a bit before settling on something to eat. While most foods come with their ingredients and dietary breakdowns on display on the packaging, the makers of these products don't tell you how their foods might be bad for your health.

In the following article, we'll briefly summarize all the everyday grocery products that could be slowly affecting your well-being. These items have been flagged for causing various illnesses in people, and off we go with the first few:

DAIRY

While most people were fed breast milk as infants, the dairy we're tackling here is made from cow's milk. Some people develop lactose intolerance as they age, and dairy has been linked to migraines, cancer, arthritis, asthma, low nutrient absorption, and allergies.

WHEAT

This one might be a surprise, but wheat has a carbohydrate that can suddenly increase blood sugar levels! This increase will trigger weight gain and high insulin production, while the pancreas gradually gets overworked and you become insulin resistant - leading to faster aging, wrinkles, and the propensity of getting diabetes.

BARBECUED MEATS

According to reports, some chemicals go into the meat while you're barbecuing and are linked to the risk of getting breast and pancreatic cancer. If fighting off the urge to have this type of meat is impossible, it's best to add rosemary to hamburgers as it helps reduce the number of carcinogens.

CANNED TOMATO SAUCE

This culprit is a sugar source and can increase the risk of tooth decay, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It's best to use fresh or pureed tomatoes to make your own sauce, as they don't have the extra salt and sugar like canned goods.

VEGETABLE OIL

Some oils, like vegetable oil, have genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and it isn't clear what their long-term effects are. However, this type of oil also has trans-fats that could result in obesity, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Refined oil is the worst as its free radicals help cancer to grow and speed up aging.

SODA

Soda affects your blood sugar levels, mood, skin, and hormones. Carbonated drinks contain food dyes, sugar, and preservatives, even if the container claims they have vitamins and nutrients. Sugar-free sodas are also dangerously packed with harmful artificial sweeteners.

SUGAR

Besides being extremely addictive, sugar can heighten glucose levels and create fat, leading to heart disease. This silent killer has also been linked to obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more. Honey is a better substitute if you must have some sweetness in your meals.

DELI MEATS

Salami, bologna, and ham are rich in sodium, additives, nitrates, and preservatives, which can increase your risk of getting diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and children's learning difficulties and behavioral problems. You can decrease their adverse effects by getting your deli meat from the local butcher.

MARGARINE

This everyday spread is a bad version of butter, made using hydrogenated vegetable oils. These trans-fats can damage your blood vessels and heart and spike cholesterol levels. Instead, use butter, olive, or avocado oil.

HOT DOGS

Just like deli meats, hot dogs have plenty of harmful preservatives. Physicians compare their harmful effects to smoking cigarettes, with the meat having toxins and high sodium levels that can increase cancer risk.

POTATO CHIPS

Deep-fried foods usually have acrylamide, a dangerous substance that leads to chips having the risk of causing breast, colon, prostate, and rectum cancer. Making homemade baked versions with olive oil, salt, and potatoes is best.

BOTTLED SALAD DRESSING

This product is chock full of artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar. Instead, create healthier versions at home using apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

These are worse than sugar as they might lead to the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Sugar-free gums have the most dangerous substance in the world - aspartame.

ALCOHOL

Nothing about alcohol is healthy as they are rich in calories and can cause liver damage, dehydration, depression, weight gain, cancer, and skin issues. This substance damages the brain, liver, and skin and should be avoided at all costs!

WHITE BREAD OR REFINED FLOUR

White bread is made from refined flour, meaning its minerals, vitamins, and nutritional fiber have been stripped away. It's basically grain waste and chemicals that give us that white color, but it provides the risk of thyroid and organic damage and weight gain.

ENERGY BARS

These products are full of sugar, are high in preservatives and fructose corn syrup, and have trans-fats. They're basically candy with calories, artificial ingredients, and sugar. So they are slow killers.

FAST FOOD

What makes fast food so addictive is its additives, trans-fats, salt, sugar, preservatives, and chemicals that give it its look and taste. Eating it puts you at risk of having cancer, weight gain, diabetes, mood disorders, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders.

COMMERCIAL FRUIT JUICES

If you read the fine print, most alleged "100% fruit" juices contain coloring, added sugar, and preservatives. It risks losing nutrients during pasteurization, and the best way to ensure you're having healthy juice is to make some at home.

The social media user noted how they'd been young and ignorant before allowing themselves to get "hooked" on fast foods.

BREAKFAST CEREALS

These products are filled with preservatives, sugar, artificial coloring, and GMO products. They don't have nutrients, but some dried fruit, fresh ones, or oatmeal could be healthier substitutes.

SALT

Too much salt could lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure. It's best to limit your sodium levels, especially in processed foods, with 3.75 grams being the daily and safe amount. Above six grams can pose a severe health risk.

ActiveBeat created a YouTube video showing food items that are bad for our health, and people reacted differently. One person who said they are a student of healthy eating confirmed that the clip was correct and informative, while another lamented:

"Wish I would have seen it and had the sense to believe it 20 or 30 years ago."

The social media user noted how they'd been young and ignorant before allowing themselves to get "hooked" on fast foods. However, they rarely ate small amounts of the items shown in the video, and they were building muscle, losing fat, and feeling good!