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Eating an abundance of junk seems normal to today’s generation. Over the past few years, in urban metropolitan cities, the tradition of eating home cooked Indian food is swapped by quick fix snacks, chips and biscuits etc. Easy availability and low cost are a major cause for the growing fad for junk food among kids. Junk food is a classic example of unbalanced diet usually characterized by high proportion of carbohydrates, refined sugar, salt, fats and low nutritional value, which can raise various health concerns like obesity, cardiac disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure etc. These food are processed and refined in such a way that they lose most of the key nutrients, have low fiber and poor water content. Effects of junk food on our digestive system: Junk food is unhealthy for digestive system as they slowdown the digestion process making the stomach bloated. In order to digest food, stomach needs enzymes and fast food does not have them. When food is absorbed by the intestine it requires fiber and water to excrete but they don't have such nutrients which leads to poor digestion and irritable bowels. Carbs and sugar in fast food and processed food can increase acids in your mouth. These acids can break down tooth enamel. As tooth enamel disappears, bacteria can take hold, and cavities may develop.
Obesity can also lead to complications with bone density and muscle mass. People who are obese have a greater risk for falling and breaking bones. It’s important to keep exercising to build muscles, which support your bones, and maintain a healthy diet to minimize bone loss.Fast food may satisfy hunger in the short term, but long-term results are less positive. People who eat fast food and processed pastries are 51 percent more likely to develop depression than people who don’t eat those foods or eat very few of them.Excess calories from fast-food meals can cause weight gain. This may lead toward obesity.Obesity increases your risk for respiratory problems, including asthma and shortness of breath. The extra pounds can put pressure on your heart and lungs and symptoms may show up even with little exertion. You may notice difficulty breathing when you’re walking, climbing stairs, or exercising. For children, the risk of respiratory problems is especially clear. One study found that children who eat fast food at least three times a week are more likely to develop asthma.Most fast food, including drinks and sides, are loaded with carbohydrates with little to no fiber. When your digestive system breaks down these foods, the carbs are released as glucose (sugar) into your bloodstream. As a result, your blood sugar increases. Your pancreas responds to the surge in glucose by releasing insulin. Insulin transports sugar throughout your body to cells that need it for energy. As your body uses or stores the sugar, your blood sugar returns to normal.How many carbs should you eat in a day? » This blood sugar process is highly regulated by your body, and as long as you’re healthy, your organs can properly handle these sugar spikes. But frequently eating high amounts of carbs can lead to repeated spikes in your blood sugar. Overtime, these insulin spikes may cause your body’s normal insulin response to falter. This increases your risk for weight gain, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Swinging through the drive-thru or hopping into your favorite fast-food restaurant tends to happen more often than some would like to admit. According to the Food Institute’s analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, millennials alone spend 44 percent of their budget’s food dollars on eating out.
Junk food is a pejorative term for food containing high levels of calories from sugar or fat with little fibre, protein, vitamins or minerals. Junk food can also refer to high protein food like meat prepared with saturated fat. Food from many hamburger outlets, pizza and fried chicken outlets is often considered as junk food.

Concerns about the negative health effects resulting from a "junk food"-heavy diet, especially obesity, have resulted in public health awareness campaigns, and restrictions on advertising and sale in several countries.

Contents
1Origin of the term
2Definitions
3Popularity and appeal
4Health effects
5Anti-junk food measures
5.1Taxation
5.2Advertising restriction
6Behavior problems
7See also
8References
9Further reading
10External links
Origin of the term
The term junk food dates back at least to the early 1950s,although it has been reported that it was coined in 1972 by Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.In 1952, it appeared in a headline in the Lima, Ohio, News, "fish, 'Junk Foods' Cause Serious Malnutrition", for a reprint of a 1948 article from the Ogden, Utah, Standard-Examiner, originally headlined, "Dr. Brady’s Health Column: More Junk Than Food". In it, Dr. Brady writes, "What Mrs. H calls 'junk' I call cheat food. That is anything made principally of white flour and or refined white sugar or syrup. For example, white bread, crackers, cake, candy, ice cream soda, chocolate malted, sundaes, sweetened carbonated beverages."The term cheat food can be traced back in newspaper mentions to at least 1916.

Definitions
Andrew F. Smith, in his book, Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food, defines junk food as "those commercial products, including candy, bakery goods, ice cream, salty snacks, and soft drinks, which have little or no nutritional value but do have plenty of calories, salt, and fats. While not all fast foods are junk foods, most are. Fast foods are ready-to-eat foods served promptly after ordering. Some fast foods are high in calories and low in nutritional value, while other fast foods, such as salads, may be low in calories and high in nutritional value."
Junk foods have empty calories, i.e. the energy content is not complemented with proteins and lipids required for a nutritious diet. François Magendie showed by experiment in 1816 that dogs died when fed only sugar.

Foods commonly considered junk foods include salted snack foods, gum, candy, sweet desserts, fried fast food, and sugary carbonated beverages. Many foods such as hamburgers, pizza, and tacos can be considered either healthy or junk food depending on their ingredients and preparation methods.[14] The more highly processed items usually fall under the junk food category, including breakfast cereals that are mostly sugar or high fructose corn syrup and white flour or milled corn.

Especially in the case of ethnic foods, a classification as "junk food" could be perceived as rather offensive, given that such foods may have been prepared and consumed for centuries and may contain healthy ingredients.[citation needed] In the book, Panic Nation: Unpicking the Myths We're Told About Food and Health, a complementary point is argued: food is food, and if there is no nutritional value, then it isn't a food of any type, "junk" or otherwise. Co-editor Vincent Marks explains, "To label a food as 'junk' is just another way of saying, 'I disapprove of it.' There are bad diets - that is, bad mixtures and quantities of food - but there are no 'bad foods' except those that have become bad through contamination or deterioration."

Popularity and appeal
Junk food in its various forms is extremely popular, and an integral part of modern popular culture. In the US, annual fast food sales are in the area of $160 billion, compared to supermarket sales of $620 billion (a figure which also includes junk food in the form of convenience foods, snack foods, and candy). In 1976, "Junk Food Junkie", the tale of a junk food addict who pretends to follow a healthy diet by day, while at night he clandestinely gorges on Hostess Twinkies and Fritos corn chips, McDonald's and KFC, became a Top 10 pop hit in the US. Thirty-six years later, Time placed the Twinkie at #1 in its "Top 10 Iconic Junk Foods" special feature: "Not only...a mainstay on our supermarket shelves and in our bellies, they've been a staple in our popular culture and, above all, in our hearts. Often criticized for its lack of any nutritional value whatsoever, the Twinkie has managed to persevere as a cultural and gastronomical icon."

America also celebrates an annual National Junk Food Day on July 21. Origins are unclear; it is one of around 175 US food and drink days, most created by "people who want to sell more food", at times aided by elected officials at the request of a trade association or commodity group. "In honor of the day," Time in 2014 published, "5 Crazy Junk Food Combinations". Headlines from other national and local media coverage include: "Celebrate National Junk Food Day With… Beer-Flavored Oreos?" (MTV); "National Junk Food Day: Pick your favorite unhealthy treats in this poll" (Baltimore);"Celebrities' favorite junk food" (Los Angeles); "A Nutritionist's Guide to National Junk Food Day" with "Rules for Splurging" (Huffington Post); and "It's National Junk Food Day: Got snacks?" (Kansas City).
It is well-established that the poor eat more junk food overall than the more affluent, but the reasons for this are not clear.[29] Few studies have focused on variations in food perception according to socio-economic status (SES); some studies that have differentiated based on SES suggest that the economically challenged don't perceive healthy food much differently than any other segment of the population.Recent research into scarcity, combining behavioral science and economics, suggests that, faced with extreme economic uncertainty, where even the next meal may not be a sure thing, judgment is impaired and the drive is to the instant gratification of junk food, rather than to making the necessary investment in the longer-term benefits of a healthier diet.

Health effects
When junk food is consumed very often, the excess fat, simple carbohydrates, and processed sugar found in junk food contributes to an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and many other chronic health conditions.[33] A case study on consumption of fast foods in Ghana suggested a direct correlation between consumption of junk food and obesity rates. The report asserts that obesity resulted to related complex health concerns such upsurge of heart attack rates. Studies reveal that as early as the age of 30, arteries could begin clogging and lay the groundwork for future heart attacks.Consumers also tend to eat too much in one sitting, and those who have satisfied their appetite with junk food are less likely to eat healthy foods like fruit or vegetables.

Testing on rats has indicated negative effects of junk food that may manifest likewise in people. A Scripps Research Institute study in 2008 suggested that junk food consumption alters brain activity in a manner similar to addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin. After many weeks with unlimited access to junk food, the pleasure centers of rat brains became desensitized, requiring more food for pleasure; after the junk food was taken away and replaced with a healthy diet, the rats starved for two weeks instead of eating nutritious fare. A 2007 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that female rats who eat junk food during pregnancy increased the likelihood of unhealthy eating habits in their offspring.

Other research has been done on the impact of sugary foods on emotional health in humans, and has suggested that consumption of junk food can negatively impact energy levels and emotional well-being.

Anti-junk food measures
A number of countries have adopted, or are considering, various forms of legislated action to curb junk food consumption. In 2014, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Anand Grover, released his report, "Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health", and called for governments to "take measures, such as developing food and nutrition guidelines for healthy diets, regulating marketing and advertising of junk food, adopting consumer-friendly labelling of food products, and establishing accountability mechanisms for violations of the right to health."

An early, high-profile and controversial attempt to identify and curb junk food in the American diet was launched by the so-called McGovern Committee, formally, the United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, between 1968 and 1977, chaired by Senator George McGovern. Initially formed to investigate malnutrition and hunger in the US, the committee's scope progressively expanded to include environmental conditions that affected eating habits, like urban decay, then focused on the diet and nutritional habits of the American public. It criticized the use of salt, sugar and fat in processed foods, noted problems with overeating and the high percentage of ads for junk food on TV, and stated that bad eating habits could be as deadly as smoking. The findings were heavily criticized and rebutted from many directions, including the food industry, the American Medical Association, and within the committee itself. In 1977, the committee issued public guidelines under the title, Dietary Goals for the United States, which became the predecessor to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published every five years beginning in 1980 by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Taxation

In an attempt to reduce junk food consumption through price control, forms of Pigovian taxation have been implemented. Targeting saturated fat consumption, Denmark introduced the world's first fat-food tax in October, 2011, by imposing a surcharge on all foods, including those made from natural ingredients, that contain more than 2.3 percent saturated fat, an unpopular measure that lasted a little over a year.[45][46][47] Hungary has also imposed a tax on packaged foods that contain unhealthy concentrations, such as beverages containing more than 20 mg of caffeine per 100 ml.Norway taxes refined sugar, and Mexico has various excises on unhealthy food.[49] On April 1, 2015, the first fat tax in the US, the Navajo Nation's Healthy Diné Nation Act of 2014, mandating a 2% junk food tax, came into effect, covering the 27,000 sq. mi. of Navajo reservation; the Act targeted problems with obesity and diabetes among the Navajo population.

Advertising
Junk food that is targeted at children is a contentious issue. In "The Impact of Advertising on Childhood obesity", the American Psychological Association reports: "Research has found strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity."[51] In the UK, efforts to increasingly limit or eliminate advertising of foods high in sugar, salt or fat at any time when children may be viewing are ongoing.The UK government has been criticized for failing to do enough to stop advertising and promotion of junk food aimed at children.

Controversy over junk food promotions during Australian cricket matches was reported in the news media in early 2015. A Wollongong University study showed that junk food sponsors were mentioned over 1,000 times in a single match broadcast, which included ads and branding worn on players' uniforms and on the scoreboard and pitch. A coalition of Australian obesity, cancer and diabetes organizations called on Cricket Australia, the sport's governing body, to "phase out sponsorships with unhealthy brands", emphasizing that cricket is a "healthy, family-oriented sport" with children in the audience. Many countries have restricted advertising of junk food.

Behavior problems
In a study by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the frequency of consumption of 57 foods/drinks of 4000 children at the age of four and a half were collected by maternal report. At age seven the 4000 children were given the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The test was divided into 5 sections: hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems, emotional symptoms and pro-social behavior. A one standard deviation increase in junk food was then linked to excessive hyperactivity in 33% of the 4000 children. In conclusion, children with excess junk food at the age of seven are more likely to be in the top third of the hyperactivity sub-scale; however, there is not enough correlation between junk food and the other sub-scales such as emotional symptoms and peer problems.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_food

This exhibit was just brilliant. It's simple, but shows the changing status of what you eat as it turns into poo, with approximate timescales. Fascinating!

Fleischfressende Pflanzen, Schlauchpflanzen
*Carnivorous plants - Sarracenia with flower

Seagull in Conwy, Wales,
August 2005.
The thought of indigestion is far away..

Tiny seeds, Big benefits!!
You guessed it Right - Its CHIA SEEDS!!!

You can license this copyrighted image through Adobe Stock: LICENSE this image

You can license this copyrighted image through Adobe Stock: LICENSE this image

LIFE Magazine - First Issue - 23 November 1936

archive.org/details/Life_Magazine_v01n01_Nov_23_1936_/pag...

This photo was taken on November 14 and depicts anaerobic digesters in the University of Maryland’s Bioenergy and Bioprocessing Laboratory. These digesters are involved in research that uses food waste to produce renewable biogas. As discussed in a study by the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, millions of tons of food waste globally end up in landfills each year where it releases colossal amounts of methane (www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032114003633). Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and the second-largest contributor to global warming, according to NASA (climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/methane/?intent=121#:~:text=...(CH4)%20is%20a,carbon%20dioxide%20(CO2). Anaerobic digesters have the potential to divert food waste from landfills and convert it into valuable byproducts.
Anaerobic digestion occurs in closed reactors, shown in the photo, that lack oxygen and are “fed” organic waste. The reactors contain complex communities of microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea, which break down the waste in the absence of oxygen. The microorganisms release biogases during decomposition, which contains energy-dense methane and can be used for electricity, to heat homes, or power vehicles, as explained by the principal investigator at the Bioenergy and Bioprocessing Lab (youtu.be/aRItrVLsI30?feature=shared). The digesters shown in the photo co-digest food waste with dairy manure, which increases energy production. Anaerobic digestion also produces solid waste, called digestate, which can be processed into high-quality organic fertilizer and other horticulture products.
The reactors shown in the photo are relevant to SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Unlike methane that escapes from food waste in landfills, methane from anaerobic digesters is captured and can be used for energy. This helps create a “closed loop” system which utilizes the biogas from organic waste instead of directly releasing it into the atmosphere. Although anaerobic digestion isn’t yet used for large-scale energy generation, it is a renewable way to get rid of our exorbitant amounts of food and other organic waste. This technology can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels via sustainable energy, which contributes to SDG 7. Anaerobic digestion can also make energy more accessible, especially in rural areas. Agricultural residue and animal manure, which are readily available in rural regions, could create a local and renewable energy source in developing countries, according to research from the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology (www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/14/5409). By converting organic waste into renewable biogas, anaerobic digestion reduces harmful methane emissions and creates a sustainable energy source, with the potential to improve the quality of life for rural communities.

Lentils soaking in water to make them easier to digest

Of course, some people need to put things like bicycles, baby-buggies and shopping trolleys - more substantial things than mere shoes, bottles or soda-pop cans - into rivers and waterways. Amongst adolescents and the immature it fulfils a basic primal need to be naughty and rebellious and in their elders a nascent yet suppressed urge to artistic expression, perhaps caused by the existential angst inherent in drunken yobbery.

[DSC_1017b] BlueSky 21 February 2025

Sony ILCE-1 + FE 600mm F4 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter

_DSC8732

Caspases (cysteine-aspartic proteases, cysteine aspartases or cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases) are a family of protease enzymes playing essential roles in programmed cell death. They are named caspases due to their specific cysteine protease activity – a cysteine in its active site nucleophilically attacks and cleaves a target protein only after an aspartic acid residue

cleave 'cutting together/apart one move' Barad

Welcome to Dr. Chandrakant S. Kamble’s clinic in Kalyan, your trusted destination for expert care of the Extrahepatic Biliary System. In this article, we’ll explore the significance of the extrahepatic biliary system, its functions, common conditions it addresses, and how our clinic can provide high-quality care to enhance your biliary health.
Understanding the Extrahepatic Biliary System:
The extrahepatic biliary system comprises the bile ducts outside the liver, which play a crucial role in transporting bile from the liver to the small intestine. This bile aids in digestion, particularly the breakdown and absorption of fats in the digestive process.

Loving pretty korean lady in casual petting her fluffy dog jack russel terrier while feeding it, cozy kitchen interior, panorama, copy space. Healthy nutritive full of vitamins and minerals dog food

Senior woman with glass of milk in kitchen

Maintaining a balanced lifestyle, including adequate water intake, a fiber-rich diet, probiotics, herbal teas, regular exercise, mindfulness, and limiting processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine, can support stomach health. Consult a healthcare professional if digestive issues persist, as a healthy gut microbiome is crucial for overall well-being.Find The Best Gastroenterologist in Ahmedabad.