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There are a set of people who slather ketchup on everything — basically from maggie to pizza, and even parathas. But it’s time to open our eyes, and know about the side-effects of consuming ketchup! Because remember, you can otherwise be in big trouble.
Not just kids, but even other age groups are a part of the ketchup fan club. What they don’t realize is that it isn’t just about fresh tomatoes; there’s a lot that goes into it.
According to dietician, Priya Palan from Zen Multispeciality Hospital, ketchups neither contain protein nor fibre. In fact, they are packed with sugar, salt, spices, and fructose corn syrup.
“Excessive consumption of foods with fructose corn syrups are related to increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance, high triglycerides and fatty liver diseases. One must watch out for sugar and sodium intake, read the ingredient list and nutrition facts well, before adding ketchup. That’s because it can cause clinical conditions such as high blood pressure and mineral imbalances,” warns Ms Palan.
Processed and preserved foods have been associated with the risk of causing inflammation, so it’s best to think of everything before adding ketchup to your diet.
Dreading already? We’ve got more for you.
Here are seven health issues that ketchup can lead to
1. Low nutrient density
A nutrient-dense food provides protective micronutrients and helps to build immunity. On the other hand, ketchup has low nutritional value, and does not contain protein and fibre.
2. Heart disease
Excessive consumption of foods with fructose corn syrup is related to high triglycerides and heart problems.
3. Obesity and Insulin resistance
High sugar content and fructose corn syrup can lead to obesity and insulin resistance.
4. Acidity and heartburn
“Tomato ketchup, being an acidic food, due to the presence of acids such as malic acid and citric acid can trigger acidity and heartburn. Thus, those who have digestive problems such as digestive stress or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should avoid tomato ketchup,” suggests Ms Palan.
5. Joint problems
Processed and preserved foods have been associated with the risk of inflammation, which means you could end up with joint problems.
6. Kidney issues
Processed and high sodium content foods increase the calcium in the urine, which may increase the chance of developing kidney stones.
7. Allergies
Tomatoes that are there in the ketchup are rich in histamines and can lead to allergic reactions such as sneezing, and even shortness of breath.
So, planning to catch up with ketchup or want to give it up?
