DR. MIRKIN: “FAST FOODS” KILL YOU “FAST!”

DR. MIRKIN: “FAST FOOD” WILL KILL YOU “FAST!!!”

By Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

According to a study in Circulation (July 2, 2012), people who eat fast foods:

* ONCE a week increase risk for dying of heart attacks by 20 percent;

* 2-3 TIMES a week increase risk by 50 percent;

* 4+ TIMES a week increase risk by more than 80 percent, and increase risk for diabetes by 27 percent.

The study was done on Chinese people in Southeast Asia to explain the recent incredible rise in heart attacks and diabetes that is associated with the increase in fast food restaurants there.

They had the same results as the many studies already done on Western-Caucasians in the United States.

Foto de una carretera en la cual se destacan anuncios de los restaurantes de comida rápida KFC, Wendy’s y Taco Bell entre otros. Picture of a highway in which fast food ads are featured:KFC, Wendy’s and Taco Bell among others. Taken in Bowling Green, KY. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HOW DO FAST FOODS CAUSE DIABETES AND HEART ATTACKS?

Saturated fats in meat, milk shakes and ice cream, and burnt fats (called Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons or PAHs) in all fried foods such as fried chicken and French fries:

* block insulin receptors, to

* prevent the body from responding to insulin, to

* cause high rises in blood sugar.

Sugary foods, particularly sugared beverages, also can cause very high rises in blood sugar levels.

High rises in blood sugar cause sugar to stick to the outer surface membranes of cells to destroy the cells. This damages cells in every part of your body to cause heart attacks, strokes, dementia, nerve damage, blindness, deafness, and the other effects of diabetes.

Sugar enters muscle and liver cells. If the sugar is not burned for energy to power the cells, it will first be stored inside the muscle and liver cells as glycogen.

However there is only a very small and limited amount of sugar that can be stored in cells. Once the cells are full of glycogen, all extra sugar is converted to a type of fat called triglycerides. Triglycerides fill up liver cells to cause a fatty liver.

Having a fatty liver virtually guarantees that you are diabetic or are becoming diabetic..

NEED MORE EVIDENCE?

Eighteen slim and healthy men and women ate at least two fast food meals at fast-food restaurants every day (Gut, published online Feb 14, 2008). In four weeks, they gained an average 14.5 pounds (one put on 26 pounds).

After one week, their liver test called ALT quadrupled from 22 U/l to of 97 U/l and their liver cells filled up with fat.

This means that they were on their way to developing a fatty liver after just ONE WEEK of fast food meals.

Diabetes is the most significant cause of heart attacks in North America today.