# most unhealthy food **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302 "2006-04-12T00:14:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/21 "2006-04-12T19:04:52Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] Sorry, **Trunk** , but I seriously doubt it’s the alcohol (why do I have so dang much trouble keeping my finger from putting an extra “h” in that word?) that is linked to the health benefits (which, by the way, vary from study to study, and have never been proved by a double-blind experiment using pure alcohol). Wine & beer have other organic compounds in them that seem to account for the benefits. But ask any organic chemist (or biologist) - alcohol itself is poison. It just takes a lot of it to kill quickly. Or a lesser amount over a much longer period will do it. [/QUOTE] [Toxicologists emphasize that “the dosage makes the poison.” Although salt, water, oxygen, aspirin, alcohol beverages, and many other substances can cause poisoning in excessive amounts, it makes no sense to call them poisons.](http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1119724191.html) The dangers of frying food are overstated too. No doubt they add fat to whatever you’re cooking, but it was only about a month ago that JAMA published the study about fat not being as fattening as people would have you believe. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/22 "2006-04-12T19:48:51Z")
I counter your cite with another: [Cite](http://www.denison.edu/oade/poison.html) ; in fact, the Google listing of your own cite’s link starts with “alcohol is _technically a poison_” (italics mine). I get my information from a biologists. Your doctor has his opinion, which seems to be agenda-based. I say that as someone who drinks alcohol myself. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/23 "2006-04-12T19:52:40Z")
Salted lard. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/24 "2006-04-12T20:29:02Z")
[QUOTE=Joe Mahma] It’s spelled Coca Cola. [/QUOTE] No, no, Coke a Cola. It has fat in it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/25 "2006-04-12T20:43:36Z")
What about pork rinds? Yummy unhealthy goodness. And \*\*YaWanna \*\* if you’re going to go down that road, \*oxygen \* is technically a poison. I don’t think that really works so much. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/26 "2006-04-12T20:44:50Z")
Properly deep fat fried food (that is, fried at the correct temperature) is not neccesarily high fat. If done correctly, the water in the food boils at the surface, keeping the fat from entering the food. The hot fat merely presents a dry heat (yes, dry, because it doesn’t soak in) that cooks food very quickly from all sides. Alton Brown did a show where he deep fried a whole buttload of food, and measured the oil before and after. He only lost 2 teaspoons of oil into the food. Deep fry at a temperature that’s too low to boil your food’s water content, and the oil soaks in and you have a greasy mess. While I agree with the adage that there’s no bad foods, only bad food choices, and that anything is OK in moderation, it does seem that refined sugar bears a lot of responsibility for world-wide health decline. But I think alcohol is the clear winner here. The OP asks what has caused the most problems for the most people in the world, not what happens if you use something in moderation. (Although there’s an evil part of me that wants to name pretzles, because they didn’t kill a certain president when they had the chance…) ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/27 "2006-04-12T20:56:19Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] What about pork rinds? Yummy unhealthy goodness. And \*\*YaWanna \*\* if you’re going to go down that road, \*oxygen \* is technically a poison. I don’t think that really works so much. [/QUOTE] I’d have to argue that something can’t be “technically a poison” if you’d **die without** it. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/28 "2006-04-12T21:32:15Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] No, no, Coke a Cola. It has fat in it. [/QUOTE] Yup. Pig fat as a matter of fact, and it’s only sold in 3 gallon buckets made of fried Foie Gras and cream cheese. Damned delicious stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/29 "2006-04-12T21:34:39Z")
Country Joe’s Cyanideburgers. The almondy smell is enticing, but I don’t recommend them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/30 "2006-04-12T22:00:58Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] I’d have to argue that something can’t be “technically a poison” if you’d **die without** it. [/QUOTE] According to toxicologists, you’d be wrong. If you’re arguing on technical grounds, toxicologists are your go-to people. Besides, alcohol can’t count–the OP asked about things that are consumed “and give little or no benefit.” How many children wouldn’t have been born without the salubrious effects of alcohol on the libido? My vote is for e. coli. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/31 "2006-04-12T22:19:24Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] I’d have to argue that something can’t be “technically a poison” if you’d **die without** it. [/QUOTE] Did I say it was a poison to humans? A little science lesson: > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Unbound oxygen (usually called molecular oxygen, O2, a diatomic molecule) first appeared in significant quantities on Earth during the Paleoproterozoic era (between 2500 million years ago and 1600 million years ago) as a product of the metabolic action of early anaerobes (archaea and bacteria). According to most experts, this new presence of large amounts of free oxygen drove most of the organisms then living to extinction. The atmospheric abundance of free oxygen in later geological epochs and up to the present has been largely driven by photosynthetic organisms, roughly three quarters by phytoplankton and algae in the oceans and one quarter from terrestrial plants. It’s something I’ve heard in all my science classes…the most interesting fact that oxygen, when introduced into this world, was a poison and killed nearly every organism. More: > [@](#): > > Certain derivatives of oxygen, such as ozone (O3), singlet oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals and superoxide, are also highly toxic. The body has developed mechanisms to protect against these toxic species. For instance, the naturally-occurring glutathione can act as an antioxidant, as can bilirubin which is normally a breakdown product of hemoglobin. To protect against the destructive nature of peroxides, nearly every organism on earth has developed some form of the enzyme catalase, which very quickly disproportionates peroxide into water and dioxygen. What you said, and I quote, was: > [@YaWanna](#): > > in fact, the Google listing of your own cite’s link starts with “alcohol is technically a poison” (italics mine). I was just pointing out that, _technically_, one of life’s most important things is considered a poison, countering your rolleyes (which I simply hate in an IMHO thread. Not necessary), and sharing an interesting fact. You are simplifying things way too much with your one-line statements, IMO. Science is much too complicated to be reduced down so much. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/32 "2006-04-12T22:23:07Z")
What kind of food is _e. coli_ again? ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/33 "2006-04-12T22:30:47Z")
**Anaamika** , I’m sorry you took offense to my post. I still have a disagreement with the contentions that you make (I hope you won’t hold that against me), because I’ve had people with credible science credentials make the same “simplification.” Also, it seems unfair to argue from both side of the OP’s criteria (on the one hand, he referred to substances which people consume that is toxic and has little/no benefit; on the other hand you bring up oxygen, then you counter that you didn’t say that it was a poison to humans…). I respect you, and feel a bit hurt by the tone of your post. I hope I’m taking it the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/34 "2006-04-13T12:52:56Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] I counter your cite with another: [Cite](http://www.denison.edu/oade/poison.html) ; [/QUOTE] Your cite doesn’t counter shit, because the one I gave already said that alcohol is a poison. Your just talks about an overdose. If you want to call alcohol the “thing we consume that has caused the most problems in the world”, do it for a different reason than “it’s technically a poison” because as has been pointed out to you, so are a lot of other things that we consume. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/35 "2006-04-13T14:56:46Z")
Oh hell, sugar isn’t even close, and high fructose corn syrup is more or less just sugar. Neither have any DIRECT bad effects on your health. True, consuming too much can lead to obesity which elads to a whole host of health problems, but really sugar is just a source of calories and it’s consuming too many calories that leads to obesity. A modest amount of sugar is good for you even. Fruit is basicly sugar, with small amounts of vitamins & sometimes fiber- and they suggest eating many servings of fruit a day. I’d have to say trans-fats, aka hydrogenated oils. They increase bad Chol and decrease Good Chol, and aren’t good for you in any amount. Sure, small amounts aren’t a killer, but they ain’t good for you either. There is no benefit to consuming trans-fats. You’ll find them in all sorts of empty caloried snack food. Much Snack food contains High fructose corn syrup and trans-fats. In general, it’s that damn snack food that’s a killer. Modest amounts of corned beef are good for you- a nice amount of complete protien, and some vitamins too. Eating \*half your body weight \* in corned beef is very very bad, whether you’re a dog or a human. Fried food? Hmm, depends on what it’s fried in, and depends on what you’re frying. I’d have to say that a Twinky deep-fat fried in Crisco is double bad. Some nice lean meat flash dipped in a “good” oil (sunflower, peanut, canola) is something that can be enjoyed in moderation. Booze is a tough call. A Drink a day may well be good for you. More than two is definately NOT. And if you’re prone to a addictive personality, even a couple drinks can lead to alcoholism. So, sure- enjoy that Deep-fat fried Turkey- in moderation. Enjoy that Coke- in even more moderation. Good ahead, have a glass of wine with your dinner. Eschew Trans-fats altogether if you can. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/36 "2006-04-13T16:46:06Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] Your cite doesn’t counter shit, because the one I gave already said that alcohol is a poison. Your just talks about an overdose. If you want to call alcohol the “thing we consume that has caused the most problems in the world”, do it for a different reason than “it’s technically a poison” because as has been pointed out to you, so are a lot of other things that we consume. [/QUOTE] Reread my post; I quoted someone else in agreement, then said “yep, and it’s technically a poison as well.” In other words, it was just another small point I was adding to the list. Not my main reason for choosing it. I don’t disagree that other things we consume are poisonous/toxic, in some form/dose/to some lifeform or another, but how many of them are **food** for **human beings**? I think that your approach (and that of the doctor whose website you linked to) is naive & irresponsible. The problems and risks associated with alcohol consumption far outweigh the health benefits. It should always be consumed with caution and respect for the harm it can cause, not with a nonchalant “Oh, it’s natural, and good for the spirit/heart,” or “just because some people abuse it, doesn’t mean it’s not good.” I’m not saying alcohol is **bad** , and I’m not saying it’s **good** , either. It’s neutral. It’s a substance with benefits and risks. For most people, it is best to limit the amount consumed - more so than it is for most other foods, like lettuce or bananas or rice. I have never seen any report of anyone dying from overconsumption of any one food at one sitting like I have seen many times involving alcohol. I’m not saying it’s impossible; I’m saying it’s not really a credible risk to worry about. I know of no one who was killed/injured by someone else because they ate too much steak, drank too much water, breathed too much oxygen (see above disclaimer again). I’m not talking about theoretical this or possible that or technical anything - I’m talking about reality. Reality is this: alcohol has caused more harm to people than probably any other food (not including things like spoilage or transmission of infectious agents, which are not themselves intrinsic to the consumed item) in the history of humanity. If you disagree, that’s your right, of course. But if you’re going to take an attitude that alcohol is as “harmless” as water, oxygen, or whatever the hell else was considered “technically poison by toxicologists,” you are not seeing the forest for the trees. I can’t respect that, and even if this is IMHO, I can’t help but feel that it’s important to call b.s. Sorry if y’all take it personally. It isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/37 "2006-04-13T17:14:14Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] What kind of food is _e. coli_ again? [/QUOTE] _Nasty_ food, that’s what kind. It’s the kind that gets consumed “all the time” (assuming that phrase is meant metaphorically–otherwise, no food qualifies), has no health benefits (or very few–I don’t know what the mineral content is of e.coli), and causes lots of problems. If alcohol can count, I was e.coli to count too, dammit! Daniel ---
**Author:** ![mrrealtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/38 "2006-04-13T21:00:38Z")
[QUOTE=Joe Mahma] It’s spelled Coca Cola. [/QUOTE] not where I’m from. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/39 "2006-04-13T21:35:58Z")
[QUOTE=EuroMDguy] I once had deep fried potato wedges drizzled with sugarsyrop at a Korean restaurant - now that’s a dieticians nightmare (fat, starch and sugar). But boy was that good… [/QUOTE] Not potato wedges, but sweet potato. At least that’s what I assume it is. In Korean they’re called gogoma (like Yoyo Ma, but G’d out). If you want to order it again, ask for maat taang. Or you can make it yourself: Dice gogoma Deep fry in oil. Pour cornsyrup over it. Eat quickly before it becomes so sticky you can’t get it out of the pan. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302/40 "2006-04-13T22:35:19Z")
Stephen Colbert described something on his show that is apparently sold in Chicago. A Polish sausage split down the middle and stuffed with cheese, then wrap that with bacon and deep fry the whole thing. Sounds so good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unhealthy-food/352302.md?page=3)