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Food

6 Healthy Foods That Can Be Unhealthy When You Overeat Them


There is always more and more awareness about developing healthy eating habits. People resort to special diets, regular workouts and much more to increase their overall fitness levels. But did you know there are certain food items or food groups that can do more harm than good when consumed in large quantities? You must have heard the saying, “Too much of anything is bad.” Well, it is true for food as well. If you are proud of including 5 foods you should eat daily in your diet, you must also research a bit about the quantities in which they should be taken. That way, the top 5 healthy foods in your diet can actually be beneficial for you.  Let us check out six of these healthy foods that can turn out to be unhealthy when you overeat them! 

Oats

Oats is one of the many food items that are famed for being extremely healthy. People who struggle to lose weight often try to include oats in their diet. However, overdoing it can be bad for you in many ways. Firstly, having too many oats can cause constipation and result in bloating. Studies have shown that the issue of constipation can be remarkably reduced by lowering dietary fibre intake. In addition to that, having too many oats can also curtail the absorption of zinc, calcium, and magnesium. Moreover, it can lead to weight gain if the quality is not checked and you top it up with too many sugary foods. On average, it is ideal to have 3-6 ounces of oats per day. However, the quality also depends on your overall calorie intake per day. 

Broccoli

Broccoli is considered a superfood because of its numerous health benefits such as increasing immunity, reducing the risk of diabetes, improving the skin and much more. However, it is little known that broccoli can also have some adverse effects when consumed in large quantities. It contains thiocyanates that are responsible for the production of thyroid hormones. Hence, eating too much broccoli can lead to a bloated face, hair loss and other health issues. In addition to that, broccoli is also known to produce skin rashes or other allergies, stuffy nose, and itching. Having said that, the numerous benefits of having broccoli cannot be avoided. So, you must be careful when you include broccoli in your diet and limit its daily consumption for maximum benefits. 

Tuna 

This fatty fish is widely consumed and is regarded as one of the healthiest fish across the world. Tuna is rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. That said, this fish may also be rich in high levels of methylmercury, which is an environmental pollutant. Methylmercury, when consumed in high amounts, can cause numerous adverse effects on your health because it is essentially a neurological toxin. These health issues include vision problems, impaired speech and hearing, lack of coordination and developmental delays in kids. Large tuna fish is rich in mercury because it builds up significantly in the tissues of the fish over time. These large fishes are usually served in sushi or as premium fish steaks. On the flip side, smaller tunas contain a smaller amount of mercury and traditionally come canned. Humans can consume methylmercury in safe amounts, i.e. 0.1 micrograms for every kilogram of your body weight.    

Cinnamon 

This widely-used spice has countless medicinal properties and is absolutely delicious. Cinnamon is high in antioxidants. Moreover, studies suggest that it helps in lowering your blood sugar levels and fights inflammation. When you consume cinnamon regularly, you can expect a decreased risk of cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes. That said, cinnamon is rich in coumarin and should not be consumed in high amounts. Humans can tolerate 0.1 mg of coumarin per kilogram of their body weight on a daily basis. 

Coffee 

We all know the wonderful benefits of coffee, which is rich in active compounds and antioxidants. Coffee is known to have countless health benefits, such as a decreased risk of neurodegenerative diseases, type-2 diabetes and liver diseases. Caffeine is the active ingredient present in coffee, and a single cup contains around 80-120 mg of caffeine. Humans can safely consume 40 mg of caffeine per day. However, any more than 600 mg can potentially overwhelm the nervous system and cause nervousness, stomach cramps, muscle tremors, insomnia, heart palpitations and irritability.   

Brazil Nuts 

One of the best sources of selenium is Brazil nuts. Selenium, when consumed in trace amounts, can be extremely beneficial for our health. However, higher amounts of selenium can be toxic. It is recommended that adults not consume more than 70 micrograms of selenium in a day. 

Final Words

These are a few of the many food items that must be consumed prudently to ensure that you can derive the most health benefits from them. Try not to overdo the good things in life because just like unhealthy food habits, the healthy ones too can also do more harm than good in the long run.

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