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Common types of foods & drinks killing you slowly
20th August, 2025 01:35 PM
Many of us eat and drink without thinking about what is happening inside our bodies. Some foods are so common that we believe they are harmless.
Yet science shows they can slowly harm us over time. The danger is that the damage does not happen in one day.
It builds quietly until one day the body shows sickness, extra weight, or even a failing heart. Let us look closely at three everyday foods and drinks, and how they harm us step by step.
Added sugar
Added sugar is not the natural sugar found in fruits, but the extra sugar put into sodas, juices, cakes, biscuits, and sweets.
When you drink a soda, sugar enters the blood very quickly. The body releases a hormone called insulin to push this sugar into the cells for energy.
But when there is too much, the liver cannot handle it all. The extra sugar is then stored as fat, especially around the belly.
Scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explain that sugary drinks are the single largest source of added sugar in the modern diet.
Their studies show that people who drink one to two cans of sugary beverages daily have a 26 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely drink them.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also warns that added sugar contributes directly to obesity, which then raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The fat that gathers around the stomach is not just extra weight.
This makes the heart pump harder and weakens blood vessels. Over time, the body becomes more prone to heart attacks or sudden cardiac arrest.
Processed foods
Processed foods are those that are changed from their natural state to last longer or taste stronger.
This includes packaged snacks, instant noodles, and canned meals. To make them tasty and long-lasting, they are filled with too much salt, sugar, oil, and chemicals.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) carried out a study where participants were divided into two groups.
One ate ultra-processed foods, and the other ate unprocessed foods, but both were allowed to eat as much as they wanted.
The group that ate processed foods consumed about 500 extra calories a day and gained significant weight within just two weeks.
Too much salt in these foods is also a problem. The American Heart Association (AHA) notes that excess sodium raises blood pressure, which forces the heart to pump harder and increases the risk of stroke and kidney disease.
In addition, processed oils and preservatives trigger what scientists call chronic inflammation, which acts like a slow fire inside the body.
Refined wheat
Refined wheat is found in white bread, cakes, pasta, and many snacks. To make refined flour, the natural parts of the wheat that have fibre, vitamins, and minerals are removed.
What remains is a fine white powder that behaves almost like sugar.
When you eat white bread, your body breaks it down quickly into sugar. The sugar rushes into the blood, forcing the body to release insulin again.
The sugar then drops fast, leaving you hungry and tired. This is why refined wheat makes people eat more and gain weight over time.
A report by the Harvard School of Public Health found that people who eat mostly refined grains are at greater risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease compared to those who eat whole grains.
Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explained that diets high in refined grains raise blood sugar levels and contribute to insulin resistance, which is the starting point of diabetes.
Furthermore, scientists writing in the European Journal of Nutrition show that belly fat caused by refined wheat products increases the chance of blocked arteries.
When arteries around the heart are blocked, blood cannot flow well, and the heart may stop suddenly, leading to cardiac arrest.
