15 Everyday things you didn’t know are slowly killing you

• Posted on January 17, 2018
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

In this age of fast living and little thinking, most of us forget to read the fine print, be it on medicines, food or even opinions. Certain things have become such an everyday aspect of our lives that it might come as a shock that they are actually the deadliest things around. Hiding behind their innocence is the radiation excessive microwave and a host of other things that are slowly contributing to your demise. Check it out and stay informed!

1. Salt

It’s well known that salt or sodium increases the risk of heart diseases and stroke. Combine that with the fact that Indians consume a higher average of salt per meal than most of the rest of the world and you’ve a got a recipe for disaster… a very salty disaster.

2. Cellphones

Since the huge explosion in mobile usage, studies have shown that radiofrequencies contain radioactive emissions that can cause certain kinds of cancer. So try to keep it out of your pants and maybe buy an anti radiation patch for your phone, though the effectiveness of these are debatable.

3. Potato Chips

These deep fried goodies can cause cancer of the colon, breast, bladder and prostate, apart from wreaking havoc on your skin and clogging up your arteries. Maybe just stick to some aaloo dum.

4. White bread

White bread, along with pastas and anything with enriched wheat flour can lead to spikes in blood pressure. Over time, you can develop type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and conditions like arthritis. Why is all the good stuff always bad!?

5. Cucumber

The bitterness in cucumbers is caused by potentially toxic compounds referred to as Cucurbitacins. By cutting off the ends of the cucumber you significantly reduce the likelihood of getting the cucurbitacins to contaminate the rest of the cucumber but leaving it on there can lead to all kinds of stomach worms and illnesses.

6. Sitting

According to a study, sitting for more than three hours a day could lead to extensive health risks. To name a few, there’s organ damage, delayed reactions, muscle degeneration and an easier overall susceptibility to death. So we’re all basically fu#@ed.

7. Sleeping

Sleeping too little apparently makes you gain weight. A review of sleep studies showed that people who slept more than nine hours a night were at a 41% higher risk for heart disease than those who slept seven to eight hours a night.

8. Kitchen counters

Apparently, granite counter tops emit higher than average levels of radon. Radon emissions have a grim history closely related with cancer – not pleasant. Don’t fret though, the level of emission is low enough that it would take more than a hundred years to kill you. So it’s actually like the slowest death possible.

9. Fizzy drinks

Soft drinks contain all kinds of artificial food dyes and preservatives like BVO (brominated vegetable oil). It’s also bad for your weight, your teeth, your skin, even your blood glucose(What the heck is that!). They should call it the fizz of death.

10. Cold cuts

All your favourites – Spicy salami slices, cocktail sausages, even your breakfast bacon and ham, they’re all loaded with preservatives and additives that play a role in causing heart disease, cancer and learning issues in children.

11. Toothpaste

It was recently discovered that several of the pastes we use on our teeth contain triclosan, a chemical that isn’t well understood but researchers have claimed that it could cause nervous and cardiac problems as well as contribute to breast cancer development. Too bad, I loved the taste of Colgate!

12. Air fresheners

These well marketed packets of doom contain aspartame, neotame and a host of other dangerous sounding chemicals that basically cause all kinds of problems like high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

13. Whole milk

Whole milk is known to contain Bovine growth hormone, a chemical used to increase milk production in cows. Basically, BGH can lead to cancer, arthritis and chronic migraines. Sure makes for the best shakes though!

14. Naphthalene balls

Moth balls contain toxic chemicals which can cause dizziness and nausea in small quantities. They are banned in certain countries and are thought to cause cancer and mess with your blood. The rodents win again!

15. Microwave ovens

These quick solutions had to have and a catch. We’re talking radiation leakage, a serious problem that can lead to birth defects, cancer and a weakened immune system. Microwaved food is also thought to elevate blood pressure and generally turn you into a grumpy fart.

-scoopwhoop