Avoid These Foods To Live Longer
Food High In Sodium
Avoiding food high in sodium can be an effective strategy for individuals who want to live longer. The mechanism that supports this is directly associated with the long-term elevation of blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of the blood on the walls of the vessels as it is moving through them. Fluid balance in the body is a main modulating factor in the management of blood pressure. The reason behind this is because there is a certain amount of blood volume in the body that does not put too much pressure on the blood vessel walls. When more fluid is added to the blood, the blood volume in the body becomes larger, and the removal of fluid from the blood causes a decrease in blood volume.
The amount of fluid in the bloodstream is managed by electrolytes such as sodium. An increase in sodium intake causes the individual to increase their intake of fluids, subsequently causing an increase in blood volume. Just like water runs through a hose, a larger amount moving through a small hose results in higher pressure than a smaller amount of water moving through the same hose. A diet that contains high levels of sodium causes long-term high blood pressure and damage to the arterial walls.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
An individual who wants to live longer should avoid eating foods with high fructose corn syrup. While this substance can be produced easily and is readily accessible, it has a highly manipulative effect on the body. Hunger is mediated by hormones in the brain that tell the individual when to eat. Leptin is the hormone that controls an individual's satiation once they have eaten, and ghrelin is the hormone that induces hunger. Regular sugar does not cause interference with these two hormones and their processes in the body, despite its other adverse effects.
High fructose corn syrup does interfere with these hormones, effectively interfering with their function in the brain. High fructose corn syrup induces the body to place an embargo effect on leptin, which tricks it into believing it still needs food when the individual has already eaten. The individual stays hungry and never reaches the sensation of feeling completely satisfied or full. High fructose corn syrup fails at stopping the secretion of ghrelin, which also causes the individual to always feel hungry despite having eaten. These manipulations of high fructose corn syrup cause the excessive consumption of calories, which contributes to morbidity in obesity and cardiovascular disease.
