Everyone loves a juicy burger. It could be the best choice for a casual dinner or a quick lunch, and now fast food burgers are easily found at every street corner. They are delicious and are loved by many. You may have heard that burgers are not good for you. But they are so yummy, and you may be wondering why are burgers unhealthy? Here we are to give you the appropriate answer to your question based on logic, not on stories. It has been commonly said that burgers could be the reason for gaining weight and have many harmful effects on our health. So why are burgers unhealthy? Let’s discuss it.
Table of Content
Burgers Side Effects on Health
According to science, fast food burgers, just like other fast foods, are rich in fats, calories, and sodium which are not good for health even if you have it once. Let us discuss its prominent side effects.
Risks of Heart Disease
Burgers contain excessive amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat. Meat consists of fat naturally, which increases the cholesterol level. When you have burgers, the cholesterol level rises in the blood, thereby increasing the chances of heart disorders. A study was carried out in which a group of healthy persons was given food rich in saturated fat. It was observed that their arteries were prominently damaged and did not dilate much. This results in restricted blood flow leading to heart disease later in life. So having more burgers can double your risk of heart diseases.
Hypertension
Burgers are also rich in sodium, resulting in increased blood pressure and risk of stroke in which blood supply is reduced or interrupted to a section of your brain. There are also higher chances of kidney disease. High sodium intake is not good for the health of adults. According to the FDA (Food and Drug Authority), adults should not consume more than 2300 mg of sodium in a day. In contrast, there are more than a thousand mg of sodium in a single burger.
Weight Gain
Whether we love burgers or not, we all know that they are rich in calories, the leading cause of gaining weight. A chicken burger or even the simple egg burgers made in the market are full of cheese, ketchup, mayo, etc. All of these are harmful to your health. Simple egg burgers contain more than 500 calories which is not a healthy amount. Including calories of all the ingredients, a burger has a 57% total calorie diet per day.
Respiratory Issues
A burger is made by a meat product separated mechanically and treated with ammonia to destroy bacteria. Such a process is called inexpensive base beef filler, as it is a handful of fast food developments that can be consumed for lunch. Ammonia is not healthy for the body; consuming it in any form can be dangerous for health. It affects the respiratory system of our body and also causes damage to the skin.
Risk of Cancer
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced recently that fine meat is carcinogenic and red meat is a potential cause of cancer. Ammonium chloride and fructose corn syrup present in the flour of the bun can also be the reason for cancer. According to research, it has been shown that all types of burgers, especially chicken burgers are made using 50% water along with many by-products such as bone, cartilage, nerve tissue as well as connective tissue etc. All of these by-products have harmful effects on health.
Risk of Diabetes
You will get a rush of glucose after 15 mins of the first bite of the burger. This rush promotes insulin release, which in the next few hours again makes you feel hungry. All this process enhances the chances of diabetes. According to science, taking extra calories in one session exerts oxidative stress on cells.
Risk of Contamination
A single mass of chopped meat is made by combining a hundred of several cattle from all types of suppliers. This mixed meat is used to create a burger. The mixture enhances the risk of contamination as even one contaminated cow can infect tons of another. The same is the case for a chicken burger in which meat from different chickens is mixed to produce a single batch.
Toppings and Fillings
If the burger is full of toppings and fillings, it contributes to destroying our health. The modern generation considers burgers incomplete without fillings. The ones that are available at restaurants are high in sugar, fat content, and calories. The egg burgers may contain more than one egg as a filling. They are highly treated with preservatives, artificial flavours, and colours, etc.
You may like burgers so much that you may be thinking, is eating one burger bad? Well, that depends upon the frequency with which you are eating. If you are eating one burger every day, then it is terrible. Eating once a week is still wrong, and eating once a month, it’s not that bad. But still, they negatively affect health even at a slow rate.
If you are in deep love with burgers and don’t want to quit, you can go for homemade burgers. They are more delicious if made correctly by using the best ingredients. And due to all the above information, if you are wondering, are homemade burgers healthier than fast food? The answer is yes. They are healthier because the ingredients used to make burgers at home are all controlled, making sure only the healthy ones in reasonable amounts are being used.
Types of Burgers with No Side Effects
A perfect burger is sandwiched within a bun and filled with spices. There are homemade burgers healthier than fast food. They have no side effects and can be eaten without any worry. A well-prepared burger is as delicious as you want. Patties are placed carefully between a bun made up of whole grain. Veggies like tomatoes, cabbage, onions, etc., are used as toppings. Below are some burgers with no side effects on human health.
Wild Salmon Burger
Doctors even suggest this type of burger. It is best for heart patients. It contains high amounts of proteins such as omega 3, fatty acids present in fish oils, and is healthy and decreases heart problems. It can even be eaten twice for healthful goals. You should read the instructions carefully before buying to ensure you are not taking fillers and dyes.
Black Bean Burgers
These burgers are at the top for nutritional value, as they contain everything healthy that a body requires. Such burgers are rich in antioxidant compounds that increase brain energy. They are also good for killing free radicals associated with heart disease, ageing, and cancer. You can order them without any hesitation as they are very healthy for you.
Most Demanded Types of Burgers all Over the World
The burgers that are not healthy for humans are soaked in grease and dressed up with extra calories such as mayo and bacon. Besides their unhealthy effects, they are most demanded worldwide.
Beef Burgers
It is the most popular burger globally, and beef is rich in protein and vitamin B12. A grass-finished beef burger is best to choose. It means beef is obtained from animals that have never been fed grain. It is challenging to find, and people don’t even give importance to their types. They are ranking low day by day because of their wrong description like double patties, crispy bacon, etc. You can also make such a beef burger at home, with no side effects on health. Elk is another type of beef burger which is lower in fat and high in iron and vitamin B12.
Mushroom Burgers
Portobello mushroom burgers are meatless burgers with a meaty texture also famous around the world. Portobello and crimini mushrooms with red peppers, green beans, broccoli, and carrots are good dietary antioxidants. They can also be rich in cheese, causing an increased level of calories in the body.
Turkey Burgers
A turkey burger is prepared from breast meat that is low in calories. The other type of turkey burger usually contains all parts of a bird, including fatty skin which is rich in calories.
Veggie Burgers
Veggie burgers are delicious and a perfect option to replace high calories hamburgers. Such burgers decrease exposure to carcinogens as they do not undergo the processes such as those of meat.
Bison Burger
The flavour of this burger is close to a beef burger, but its nutritional value is much higher than beef. It contains low levels of fat and high levels of protein.
Types of Burgers in Pakistan
The people of every city of Pakistan have their unique food taste. Some citizens like spices, some like usual. Similarly, for the different cities, there are different types of burgers in Pakistan. For example, in the city of Karachi following types are famous:
- Pizza burger
- Beef cheeseburger
- Shaami burger
In Lahore, the following are famous burgers:
- Zinger burgers
- Crispy burger
- Grilled chicken burger
All types of chicken burgers and egg burgers that are street burgers are most famous in Lahoris. Similarly, in Islamabad, all types of street burgers and many international brands of burgers are equally famous.
Conclusion
Although burgers are the most loved food worldwide, they also have many unhealthy effects, so you should avoid them. But if you still want to have a burger, you can make one at home; there are homemade burgers healthier than fast food.
You can also try the healthier burger available in the market that we have discussed above. And you can have other burgers as an occasional treat.
FAQs
1. Are burgers healthy without the bun?
Yes, burgers are healthy without a bun. If you know how to exchange the bun with the proper vegetables, the outcome will be a yummy burger.
2. Why are fast food burgers unhealthy?
According to science, fast food burgers, just like other fast foods, are rich in fats, calories, and sodium which is not good for health even if you have it once.
3. Are homemade burgers healthy?
Yes, homemade burgers are healthy, If the burgers are made in the correct way at home. By using healthy ingredients, homemade burgers could be a good source of proteins and carbohydrates.
4. How often should you eat burgers?
According to a recent report, it is said that you should eat only one burger in a week if you want to keep yourself healthy.
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