Top harmful products that are sold to us as healthy food

Oatmeal for breakfast, almond milk in coffee, a little sauce for chicken breast and a handful of dried fruits - it seems you're eating right. But behind the mask of "natural" and "fitness-friendly" nutrition may hide an excess of sugar. And it's not at all harmless.

Research confirms: excess sugar is associated with inflammation, digestive disorders, decreased immunity, and increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle but can't understand where health problems come from - perhaps you've fallen for "healthy" marketing.

10 "healthy" foods with harmful fillings

Here's a list of foods that are often mistakenly considered healthy, although they actually contain a lot of hidden sugar:

1. Sauces and ketchups - 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce = up to 12 g of sugar, ketchup - about 8 g.

2. "Diet" cookies and crackers - hidden sugars like syrup, dextrose, and maltose.

3. Instant oatmeal - up to 12 g of sugar per serving, and people often eat two servings.

4. Flavored plant milk - up to 12 g of sugar per glass.

5. Dried fruits - especially cranberries, mangoes, and bananas are processed with sugar syrup.

6. Sports drinks and electrolytes - up to 11 g of sugar in one serving.

7. Protein and cereal bars - up to 15 g of added sugar.

8. Breakfast cereals - up to 15 g of sugar in one bowl even in "fitness" versions.

9. Salad dressings - even "olive" ones can contain 6-8 g of sugar.

10. Yogurts and cottage cheese with "low fat" - often compensate for taste with added sugar.

📌 The WHO standard is no more than 25 g of added sugar per day. That's enough to "overdo it" in just one "healthy" breakfast.

Why are we so drawn to sweets?

• Sugar acts like a drug: activates dopamine - the pleasure hormone.

• Deceives the body: activates pleasure centers even without sweet taste.

• Provokes overeating: prevents feeling full on time.

• Marketing works: packages with labels "fitness," "energy," and "natural" are misleading.

One MRI study showed: the brain reacts more strongly to sugar than to cocaine - that's why it's so difficult to eliminate sweets.

Conclusion: even if you avoid cakes and candies, sugar can hide in the most unexpected places. Read product ingredients and don't believe the bright promises on packaging.