McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Subway! We love the fast-food chains and items served on their menus. You might feel a craving to order from McDonald’s when you don’t want to cook at home. Or an impulsive hunger strike might lead you to grab food from their drive-thru.
But what you never think about is the long-term effects of McDonald’s food. Many people often ask questions like,
What are the side effects of eating at McDonald’s? Why do I get diarrhea after eating McDonald’s?
When you eat fast food from McDonald’s, it has permanent changes in your body in the long term. Therefore, it’s important to know what happens to your body when you’re consuming fast food or junk food every other day.
This article will answer your question about getting diarrhea after eating McDonald’s. We have also discussed the permanent side effects of eating fast food in the long term.
So let’s get into it without further ado.
What Type Of Food Is Served At Mcdonald’s?
McDonald’s is a global fast-food chain. Since its inception in 1940, the brand has always positioned itself as a fast-food chain. The main menu of McDonald’s has always been burgers, French fries, sandwiches, and soft drinks.
They also serve some of the vegan and vegetarian options for the people who love McDonald’s but don’t want to eat meaty treats. However, in general, the type of food served at McDonald’s is fast food.
Fast food is a term used for food items that are quick to cook. These are semi-processed food items that can be prepared just in time once a customer has placed the order. The most common types of fast food are burgers, sandwiches, French fries, pizza, fizzy drinks, etc. Fast food can also refer to quick-to-grab food from restaurants or snack bars.
Junk Food Vs. Fast Food
Now there is a difference between fast food and junk food. It’s a general misconception that all kind of fast food is junk food. But the truth is that junk food is a type of fast food. Fast food can be categorized as healthy and unhealthy fast food.
Healthy fast food can be salads, oatmeals, hamburgers, grilled chicken, chicken nuggets, steaks, etc. However, the unhealthy version of fast food is called junk food. Junk food is a term used for food items that have a very low nutritional value as compared to the calories per serving.
However, there are some similarities between junk food and fast food. Both food types are alternative homemade food and contain high salt, sodium, sugar, calories, and fat content. Whether you eat fast food or junk food for a long period of time, it will lead to several health problems.
Why Do I Get Diarrhea After Eating McDonald’s?
Many people complain about getting diarrhea after eating McDonald’s or other fast food items. Let’s find the answer to this question first.
The first thought hitting your mind be that McDonald’s fast food is causing food poisoning and diarrhea is just a symptom. Even some people experience vomiting. One logic for this condition is that junk food or fast food is not nutritious for your body in general. If you’re someone having a sensitive digestive system, the action will be prompt.
And you might experience vomiting or diarrhea. The GMO-friendly, MSG-rich food and highly processed food items might not be digestible for your body and health. Many medical experts and researchers have highlighted the long-term side effects of fast food and junk food on your digestive system.
The high-carb content, flavors, and chemicals in fast food trigger your appetite. When you’re eating more than your requirement, it will obviously cause problems for your stomach. Unless you do not have a robust digestive system, eating too much McDonald’s food can result in food poisoning, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach aches.
It’s okay to have a cheat meal once in a while. But junk food and fast food are not meant to be eaten three times a day, seven days a week. The best solution is to get examined by the doctor and avoid junk food in the future.
Side Effects Of Eating McDonald’s
As we are discussing why people suffer from diarrhea after eating McDonald’s, let’s talk about other side effects you might experience after eating McDonald’s junk food.
Digestive Problems
The first spot in your body that will suffer is your digestive system and stomach. Many people experience heaviness in their stomachs after eating McDonald’s. It’s because of the indigestion issue that junk food is triggering.
According to Allison Greg, RDN, LDN,
“Foods with high-fat content are slow to digest.”
Therefore, the more time the fatty food stays in your stomach, the higher the risk of getting nausea, vomiting, bloating, aches, etc. Besides, fast food has a higher carbohydrate content. The carbs are converted to sugar when entering your bloodstream. It will result in spiked-up blood sugar.
The higher sodium content can leave you puffy, have a bloated stomach, and have headaches when eating fast food every day.
Inflammation
Inflammation is another gift of eating food high in carbs & fat. Inflammation in your body can be a short route to many other health problems. It’s a no-brainer that McDonald’s food is greasy enough to trigger inflammation in no time. The refined and processed fast food of McDonald’s will immediately lead to inflammation that in return causes fatigue and brain fog.
Risk Of Heart Diseases
Your cardiovascular health is also at risk when eating McDonald’s every day or every other day. According to The American Heart Association(AHA), the high added sugar in fast food leads you to suffer from cardiovascular diseases.
The high transfat content also leads to higher bad cholesterol and lower level of good cholesterol. And we all know cholesterol problems are directly related to heart diseases.
As soon as you consume the sugary and high-carb food items, it will spike heart rate since such an insane amount of sugar is entering your bloodstream.
Besides, you might also experience a spiked heart rate right after eating McDonald’s food. The long-term effects can be more horrifying, resulting in a heart stroke.
Chemical Dependency
You might think about how it is possible to develop a chemical dependency. Well, it’s true if you’re consuming a specific type of food for a longer time. McDonald’s products have high sugar, and as soon as it enters your body, happy hormones are released. Your brain sends this message to the whole body that this specific kind of food leads to happy hormones.
After long-term use of such food, your brain will stop releasing happy hormones on its own. It’s because your brain has been depending on that specific food to release the hormone. That’s how you develop a chemical dependency. The other side of the story is that when your body is not releasing happy hormones without eating sugary food, it will lead to depression.
Other Side Effects Of Eating Fast Food
The side effects of fast food are not limited to eating McDonald’s. Whether you’re eating at McDonald’s or Burger King, Starbucks or Subway, the side effects, and adversities are the same. Some more side effects of eating fast food are as follows:
Weight Gain
It’s obvious that when you’re consuming high quantities of carbs and sugars, you will quickly gain weight around your belly region. Your body is not burning as many carbs as it’s getting from outside. Therefore, it will start storing the carbs leading to overweight or obese individuals.
Fertility Can Be Affected
Junk food ingredients can also negatively affect your reproductive health. According to a study, junk foods have a high proportion of a chemical group, phthalates, which can impact your hormones and fertility. The more complicated outcomes can be children with birth defects.
It Can Lead To Depression
As we talked about chemical dependence, your brain develops after eating sugary foods to release happy hormones.
Your brain will only release happy hormones when you’re eating junk food, or the feeling stays for a short time. As a result, you’re generally discontent and depressed. The link between depression and consumption of fast food has been confirmed by researchers as well.
Final Words
It’s okay to consume your favorite fast food once in a while. You can enjoy the food when hanging out with friends, at a movie night, or just to break a routine.
But becoming totally dependent on junk food to meet your dietary needs is leading you on the road to deteriorating health. We highly recommend reading the calorie count and nutritional value you receive from every item you’re eating.