Food For Thought

Did you Know that Eating Lays Can Make you Die?

Dead at 20, Diet: chips and toast

Blind in teenage, Diet: chips and fries

Did you know that eating lays can make you die? Yes, we aren’t kidding!

Did you Know that Eating Lays Can Make you Die? 1

I looked at my lays packet as I was reading these headlines. It was difficult to believe that something so innocent, so light, so satisfying could cause something so nasty. But, as I researched on the internet, the results were not as innocent as I had thought. Eating lays can actually make you die.

A research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that people eating chips or similar fried potato products twice or more in a week, double their chances of death in comparison to those who don’t eat it.

4,440 people aged between 45 and 79 had been tracked for over Eight years. During this time 236 of them died.

When the food eating habits of participants (taken via food habit questionnaires) were studied carefully, it was found there was an increased mortality rate among those who regularly ate fried potatoes.

The study found that if unfried potatoes were consumed there was no increased risk of mortality and neither was it in the case of eating fried potatoes. So, it seems it is only eating lays that can make you die.

It was pointed out by the researchers that the study didn’t look at other unhealthy activities of the participants which could also have bearings on the result. But, though nutrition research keeps giving different results, a study of 4,440 people certainly has some truth in it.

Causes

  • The study says that french fries and fried potatoes typically contain high amounts of dietary fat. Plus, you have added salt as well, which increases the risk of heart diseases. If you have it every day, you may be at risk of other chronic diseases too, including obesity.
  • You may also be more susceptible to diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
  • You will also be more likely to follow an unhealthy dietary habit, including consuming more red meat, or sugary beverages.

Interestingly, the higher consumption of Lays may be more for people who are at the lower end of the economic scale. The study seems to suggest a marginal role of socioeconomic status and not a significant one.

Reasons to reduce consumption of chips

Even without those causes, eating lays can make you die or at least cause serious health damage. Dr. Ed McDonald in his article “You need to stop ‘chippin’: 5 reasons you should consider eating less potato chips” has given these reasons behind it.

It contains Acrylamide

What is Acrylamide? It is a known mutagen, neurotoxin, and carcinogen.

Many foods contain acrylamide, but the high levels of chips is due to the frying process.

It has been found that eating 3 small bags or handfuls of chips each day for a week can increase acrylamide levels in our body by a whopping 46%. They also revealed that dark brown chips have higher levels compared to golden or light brown chips so you shouldn’t eat burnt chips that are sometimes found in the bag.

10,000 steps only burn calories equal to two bags of chips

Dr. Ed McDonald in one of his articles, writes that 10,000 steps burn 300 to 400 calories and a bag of chips (1 oz) contains almost 150 calories. So 2 bags of chips could undo all the hard work and efforts you had put in.

Less satiety

Lays and other fried chips have less satiety, so you would want to consume them in more quantities. A study was conducted where scientists gave mice an equal amount of calories of a standard chow and potato chips, then took MRIs of the brain to assess for behavioral changes.

Here is what was found – people associate chips with rewards. It’s a sort of addiction, and a reason the food intake increases significantly. Yes, eating fried chips like lays can also result in addiction. So not only can eating lays make you die but also make you an addict.

Sleep disturbances

The studies also revealed that chips affected parts of the brain that was dedicated to sleep. This correlated with sleep disturbances and those mice slept less. So lays can make you die and put you in a permanent sleep, and may even hinder your temporary one.

Obesity

The Journal cell metabolism published a research where people who had a diet that was high in ultra-processed food like low-fat potato chips and muffins consumed 500 calories more than those who ate a whole foods diet! This is because these foods cause a rise in hunger hormones. They gained on an average of two pounds in two weeks. So, you see eating lays can make you die and certainly make you obese.

JAMA with similar findings

The Journal of the American medical Association conducted a research where they found that people with diets high in ultra-processed foods could die earlier.

Online-based surveys were answered on what participants ate over a 24-hour period. Participants had to complete at least one set of three 24-hour diet diaries every six months. They had to continue this for a period of over two years. Then, they were picked by the researchers for further review. In the survey, researchers noted the BMI, the physical activity levels of the participants, as well as the sociodemographic data.

The study found that ultra processed foods were associated with younger age. These people also displayed a lower level of physical activity and often didn’t have an educational level beyond high schoo. Some had a greater chance of living alone. The study noted that it was 14% more likely that the person will die an early death. For people who preferred highly processed foods, the rate increased by a further 10%. The results were adjusted for health factors like smoking.

It was seen that over the course of 2 years 602 participants of the study had died. So there is more than 1 article that claims eating lays can make you die.

Conclusion

The health hazard from these fried snacks is real. Little children have landed up in hospitals due to snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Schools in New Mexico and California banned them in 2012 as they created a brain response similar to what is usually seen in individuals who are addicted to illicit substances. The Cheetos also had a red dye. That is the amount of harm and damage these seemingly harmless looking things can do.

We need stricter legislation regarding food quality and nutrition. Parents have to be more careful than ever before and keep track of their children’s diets.

Eating lays can make you die and the choice between lays and death is an easy one.

Eat Wisely, stay Healthy!

Published by
Eshaduti Dey