It seems like we never run out of foods to avoid these days. From processed meats to sugar-laden drinks, these foods have bad effects to our health. But most of us don’t think about other food choices we make even though we consume them almost every day.
Examples include the condiments we pair with our favorite foods. One that is so popular is ketchup, which we often dip our fried foods into. If you have a habit of consuming ketchup, here are convincing reasons why you should abandon it for good:
1. Too Much Sugar
Ketchup has so much sugar in it. In fact, just one tablespoon has more sugar than one chocolate chip cookie. This may be quite hard to believe, but ketchup is sweetened using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
2. Really Bad Ingredients
The bottled ketchup products that you so love today are basically made of overcooked tomatoes, along with lots and lots of sugar, which comes from genetically modified corn syrup. There are also some brands that use “natural flavorings” in their products, but the truth is they are simply chemicals that boost the flavor – one of which is monosodium glutamate (MSG).
3. High in Sodium
Aside from the huge amount of sugar in ketchups, they also contain a ton of sodium. Just eight tablespoons of the condiment can go beyond the sodium limitations for the whole day. Most of us don’t just consume eight tablespoons as we simply just overload our fries and other foods with ketchup. We’re not only consuming too much ketchup, but we are also ingesting excess sodium, which definitely has a lot of health implications.
4. No Nutrition
Most people are happy that ketchup doesn’t have plenty of calories. But aside from that, there really is nothing to be pleased about with this condiment. There’s no fiber, protein, and nutrients whatsoever. Yes, there are tomatoes in the ingredients, but they are in very, very small amounts. Tomatoes have lycopene, which have many health benefits, but this nutrient is too little in ketchups and therefore won’t be available for your body to absorb. What’s really in a ketchup bottle is an amalgam of chemicals that come from genetically modified ingredients.
If you really want to use ketchup, the good news is that there are ways to make a homemade version of the condiment. You can control the ingredients, such as what type of sweeteners and how much you’re going to put. Or, you can try fresh salsa, which is a healthier alternative.
Source: Steth News
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