21 HEALTH

FOODS YOU
SHOULD NEVER
EAT

DrAxe.com
 21 HEALTH FOODS YOU SHOULD
NEVER EAT

Most people assume that they are fairly healthy. However, they are also
eating many “health” foods that are actually terrible for their health!
There is a ton of confusion around how foods are marketed to the public
and how that marketing can be misleading.

To makes things a little easier for you, here’s a list of the top health foods
you should never eat. Many of these aren’t really health foods at all.
Instead, many are secret sugar bombs, foods that set your body into
inflammation overdrive, menu items that can throw your hormones into
an unhealthy state or they’re tainted with seriously gross compounds.

Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is a dangerous option. When you sit down to drink an 8-
ounce glass of orange juice, you’re consuming the juice of four
medium-sized oranges in literally seconds—or a few minutes at
the most. The fact that it would take you much longer to actually
eat four oranges shows that eating fruit in its whole form is
definitely best!

Soy Protein
Unfermented soy products are not healthy for you. Most soy grown
in the U.S. is genetically modified to withstand applications of
glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup. A
recent Norwegian study found “extreme” levels of glyphosate in U.S.
soy, meaning we’re eating weedkiller when we eat nonorganic soy.
Long-term use of soy dietary supplements has been linked to
asthma, breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, endometrial cancer, and
kidney disease among others. If you love things like soy sauce, try
coconut aminos instead!

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Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are commonly found in sugar-free gum, sugar-
free baked goods, and sugar replacements. Xylitol is one of the
most popular forms. Others include: erythritol, isomalt, lactitol,
maltitol, mannitol, and sorbitol. While often marketed as natural,
these sweeteners undergo intense processing and are often
derived from GMO ingredients like corn. Some of these products
are also linked to allergic reactions, headaches, SIBO symptoms,
rashes, gas and bloated.

“Atlantic” Salmon & Other Farmed Fish Like Tilapia

There are countless reasons why farmed fish is a no-no for your
health. Most of the fish produced on farms have harmful,
inflammation-inducing toxins. A recent study actually showed
omega-3 levels in farmed salmon are dropping rapidly to half of
what they were five years ago part of the reason for the nutrient
loss is salmon farm feed contains less ground anchovy content.

Microwave Popcorn
Another one of my top “health” foods you should never eat is
microwave popcorn. Filled with questionable ingredients, it is just
not worth the convenience. The main problem? The microwavable
bags are coated with nonstick perfluorochemicals like
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid
(PFOA), chemical that is liked to cancer.

Factory-Farmed Meat
Today, livestock is fed hormones, drugs, and a diet riddled with
pesticides and fertilizers. These toxins perpetuate into the meat
that you’re eating. A study in 2012 found really disturbing results,
detecting banned antibiotics, allergy medications, pain killers, and
even depression medications inside of bird feathers they were
testing. Try buying your meat locally to avoid the mass-produced
downfalls.

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Margarine
Long ago, many people argued margarine’s benefits as having
lower saturated fats than butter and being better for heart health.
Sadly, trans fats were the original fats used in margarines. This is
tragic, given that today, we now know trans fats are responsible for
about 50,000 fatal heart attacks a year. Trans fat also increases
someone’s risk of developing type II diabetes and several other
severe health problems. Although many mainstream margarines
have since removed the trans fats from their recipes, they still
contain industrial, highly processed fats that you’d never find in
nature.

Shrimp
Shrimp contains 4-hexylresorcinol, a food additive used to prevent
discoloration in shrimp. This additive has estrogen-like effects that
could reduce sperm count in men and increase breast cancer risk
in women. Additionally, shrimp farm pond waters are often treated
with neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides linked to symptoms
of ADHD, memory loss and tremors. Malachite green, a potential
carcinogen, is often used to kill fungus on shrimp eggs. Once it has
been used, malachite green will stay in the flesh of shrimp for a
very long time—more than 200 days.

Vegetable Oils
Vegetable oils like canola oil are highly inflammatory and not
healthy at all. They are usually genetically modified and have been
linked to complications like atherosclerosis, birth defects, bone and
tendon problems, cancer, and diabetes among others. Use items
like cold pressed, extra virgin coconut oil instead.

Table Salt
Many people know that table salt causes hypertension, but most
restaurants still stock it. Originally produced from mined salt,
refined table salt technically starts as a “real” food then quickly
becomes fake. Manufacturers use harvesting methods that strip it
of all its naturally-occurring minerals and then use several
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additives to dry it and heat it to temperatures of about 1,200
degrees. Because it was destroyed, the naturally occurring iodine
is then replaced with potassium iodide in potentially toxic amounts.
The salt is then stabilized with dextrose, which turns it purple. Finally,
it is bleached white. Try Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt as an
alternative!

Artificial Sweeteners
Unfortunately, many health professionals recommend artificial
sweeteners to diabetes patients, because the sweeteners are low
on the glycemic index. Ironically, new research has shown that
artificial sweeteners cause a disturbance in the gut flora and can
actually cause diabetes.

Fat-Free & Low-Fat Milk

It’s time to stop being afraid of full-fat dairy. A 2016 study published
in The American Journal of Nutrition makes a strong case for
eating it instead of its low-fat dairy counterparts. Researchers
studied more than 18,000 women and found the ones who
consumed more full-fat dairy were 8 percent less likely to be
overweight or obese compared to the low-fat dairy group. Some
experts say these results are because full-fat dairy makes you stay
fuller longer. Make sure to always choose organic milk, which has
a much healthier fat profile.

Fish
Swai fish are becoming very popular on menus across the country,
but beware of this trendy fish. This “river catfish” is most often raised
in Vietnamese ponds with truly abysmal track records. In August
2016, the U.S. reportedly turned away 40,000 pounds of swai due
to contamination issues. This includes fish testing positive for
malachite green, a carcinogenic veterinary drug used to treat sick
fish.

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Seitan
Seitan seems like a health food and an amazing meat
replacement—until you realize it’s basically a loaf of vital wheat
gluten. Because it’s such a gluten-heavy food with potential to
increase gluten allergies and gluten intolerance symptoms, I
simply can’t recommend it. Add to that the fact that it’s not a
complete protein and it’s very high in sodium, and it’s clear it’s a
health food to avoid. Just a half cup of one pre-made seitan
contains 576 milligrams of sodium. Try tempeh instead!

Shady Coffee Drinks

There are many health benefits to drinking coffee. However, most
of the benefits are outweighed by the other ingredients most
people tend to add to their morning drinks. There is an excessive
amount of sugar found in popular lattes. Did you know a typical
16-ounce pumpkin spiced latte contains a whopping 50 grams of
sugar. All of that sugar, particularly high-fructose corn syrup, is
hammering our livers and even contributing to nonalcoholic fatty
liver disease. Try sticking to black coffee instead.

Agave Nectar
Agave nectar is on almost every health food shelf in America. But
it’s anything but healthy. Agave has the highest fructose content of
any commercial sweetener on the market. And remember,
fructose is hard on the liver and puts our body into fat storage
mode.

Overcooked Meat
All meats have amino acids, including creatine and sugars.
Cooking them at very high temperatures produces molecules
called heterocyclic amines (HCAs), though. These are
carcinogenic, toxic compounds also found in cigarette smoke.
Well-done meat contains 3.5 times more HCA than medium-rare
meat. Using thicker, store-bought marinades containing
sweeteners like sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or even honey
makes charring more likely, possibly increasing exposure to
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carcinogens. To reduce grilling carcinogens use sugar-free, thin,
vinegar-based marinades.

Garcinia Cambogia
Garcinia cambogia is a tempting ingredient because it very well
may help people lose weight quickly. But the side effects are so
serious I had to put it on the foods you should never eat list. This
pumpkin-shaped fruit is popular in weight-loss supplements. But
get this: It’s also been shown to cause liver failure. It’s certainly not
worth the risk.

Nonorganic Strawberries
Nonorganic strawberries are the worst produce you can buy,
according to the dirty dozen list. Strawberries tested by scientists
at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2009 and 2014 contained
an average of 5.75 different pesticides per sample. (That’s even
after they are washed.) It’s also important to note that nonorganic
strawberry fields are often fumigated with toxic gases that were
initially developed for chemical warfare. I think we need to ask
ourselves why these chemicals are in the food system. And if we’re
willing to feed our families food grown in this type of a system.

Canned Green Beans

Canned green beans are consistently contaminated with some of
the most dangerous pesticides, according to Consumer Reports.
In fact, eating just one serving of U.S.-grown green beans a day is
“high risk,” due to the toxicity of the pesticides typically used on that
crop. Because those chemicals tend to be far more toxic than
others, Consumer Reports notes that eating one serving of green
beans from the U.S. is 200 times riskier than eating a serving of
U.S.-grown broccoli.

All-American Pancake Breakfast

Pancakes seem innocent enough. But when you look at the
standard pancake mix at the grocery story (or in the back kitchen
of a diner), you’d be appalled. Inflammatory hydrogenated oils
21 HEALTH FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT 7
 and trans fats are still in some of the most popular pancake mixes
in America. Add to that that most syrups are loaded with high-
fructose corn syrup, and it’s clear this breakfast needs a revamp.

This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe, and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not
intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician.
Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health
questions. Neither the author nor publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of
any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All readers of this content,
especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before
beginning any nutrition or supplement or lifestyle program.

Note: References for this content can be found at draxe.com.

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