Are You Eating Too Much Of These Common Foods?
It is possible to have too much of a good thing. Most foods offer some kind of nutritional or taste benefit, but it's important to enjoy all foods in moderation. Even foods that most people consider very healthy could be harmful if eaten excessively.
Every food poses a different risk. For instance, eating too many potatoes increases your chance of getting various diseases. Keep reading to learn how much chocolate is too much chocolate, among other things.
Apples Contain A Lot Of Sugar
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but is it possible that too many apples might have the opposite effect? Apples are delicious and nutritious, but they also contain a lot of natural sugars.
Most researchers agree that you'd have to eat an inordinate amount of apples to overdose on the fruit, however, if you suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure, you should stick to no more than two to three servings of fruit per day.
Stick To No More Than Three Glasses Of Milk Per Day
Growing up you were probably told to drink your milk so you would grow big and strong. Milk is healthy for growing bodies because it contains calcium and vitamin D. There is such a thing as too much milk, though. A study conducted by the British Medical Journal concluded that people should stick to no more than three glasses of milk per day.
Women who drank three glasses of milk per day (or more) nearly doubled their risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
Too Much Nutmeg Can Actually Make You Hallucinate
While nutmeg provides healthy minerals and B vitamins, too much of it can hurt you. In the 12th century, people used nutmeg as a hallucinogen. Overdosing could cause you to feel confused, delirious, or sick. People who use nutmeg essential oil are at risk of poisoning, as it is far more concentrated than natural nutmeg.
According to the International Programme of Chemical Safety, two teaspoons of nutmeg is all that you need to overdose. A pinch of nutmeg for a baking recipe won't harm you but beware of herbal medicines that claim to require a lot of nutmeg.
Limit Your Brazil Nut Intake
Nuts contain heart-healthy protein and are a great source of energy, but eating too many Brazil nuts may cause problems. Brazil nuts contain selenium, and consuming too much of it can lead to selenium toxicity. If you get selenium toxicity, you might experience hair loss, decreased nail health, and can even digestive and memory problems.
It's recommended that you don't eat any more than 300 micrograms of Brazil nuts per day. The recommended daily amount is 50-70 micrograms.
Tuna Could Cause Mercury Poisoning
While tuna has beneficial protein and omega-3s, certain types of tuna could contain a poison. The environmental pollutant methylmercury, better known as mercury, is high in some types of tuna. Once it enters the body, it can obstruct brain function to cause vision distortion, confusion, and impaired hearing and speech.
White albacore tuna (the large fish) contains higher mercury levels than chunk light tuna. The FDA recommends waiting nine days in between servings of white albacore and three days in between chunk light tuna servings. In other words, it's safe to eat less than 170 grams of tuna per week.
Don't Have Too Many Chilis
During the 2011 Kismot curry competition in Scotland, half of the participants were sent to the hospital from collapsing or vomiting. It's proof that too much chili pepper can have negative side effects. Research in the 1980 journal Toxicon concluded that three pounds of ground-up chilis could kill someone, although that's unlikely to happen.
According to pepper nutritionist Dr. Wendy Bazilian, chilis alert pain receptors in the body that can cause nausea, heartburn, and vomiting. According to a 2002 study, participants who ate 2.5 grams of chilis per day received heartburn, although this went away after two weeks. To prevent pain, keep your spice level under 2.5 grams.
You Just Need One Orange Per Day
Oranges are super healthy and they contain a lot of vitamin C. In fact, a single orange contains 93% of all of the vitamin C you need to consume in a day. You can technically overdose on vitamin C, but if you eat too many oranges, the acid and the fiber in the fruit will be the first things that will cause you problems.
Nutritionist Laura Flores says that eating too many oranges could give you "some uncomfortable side effects," including abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
Just Have One Teaspoon Of Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a delicious spice that goes great in both sweet and savory dishes. It is also full of powerful antioxidants that can protect the body from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Cinnamon does contain a compound called coumarin which can be harmful in large doses. During a study in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, scientists determined that eating over 0.1 mg of coumarin per kg of body weight can cause liver damage.
Basically, you don't want to consume more than a teaspoon of cinnamon per day.
Too Much Soda Isn't Good For You
Sugary sodas don't supply your body with any nutrition, and an average can of soda contains around 17 teaspoons of sugar, which is twice the recommended daily amount. According to research in The American Journal of Nutrition, drinking over one soda per day greatly increases your risk of having a stroke.
Basically, if you're going to drink soda, stick to one can (or less) per day. If you just can't get enough of the fizz, try drinking soda water with some lemon juice squeezed into it.
Your Body Doesn't Need That Many Potatoes
Potatoes are great if you're looking to feel full during a famine, but they don't have much nutritional value. They are delicious though. Harvard researchers have determined that women who ate potatoes more than three times a week increased their risk of high blood pressure.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend only six servings of starchy foods for men and five for women. If you're going to consume starchy vegetables, you're better off with sweet potatoes which contain more nutrients.
Cut Back On The Coffee
While coffee can protect against certain diseases, too much can give you health complications. According to a 2019 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking at least six cups a day increases your risk of heart disease by 22%. But is six cups the max?
As it turns out, yes. Researchers from the University of South Australia measured how much coffee you can drink before suffering from health effects, and they found that six cups was the tipping point. But be mindful of caffeine as well. Staying up all night is a negative consequence of drinking too much coffee, even if it's under six cups.
Even Water Can Be Harmfull
The health advice "drink more water" has a limit. Believe it or not, you can get poisoning by over-hydrating, a condition called water intoxication. Excess water can cause cells to swell, which may result in nausea, double vision, confusion, and difficulty breathing.
To prevent water intoxication, don't flood your kidneys. According to the Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism, kidneys can't process more than one liter per hour. In other words, try to drink under four cups of water per hour. And keep it under 22 to 31 cups per day.
Cut Back On Salt
We all know that it can be harmful to consume too much sodium. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, kidney disease, and heart failure. According to the American Heart Association, you shouldn't be consuming more than 2,400 mg of sodium per day.
You might be consuming too much salt without even knowing it. Processed and packaged foods often use salt as a preservative. Read nutrition labels to make sure you aren't overindulging when it comes to sodium.
How Much Sugar Is Too Much?
How much sugar is a huge factor in how healthy you are. The American Heart Association recommends that men eat a max of 150 calories of sugar per day, which is equal to nine teaspoons or 37.5 grams. For women, the max is 100 calories, equal to six teaspoons or 25 grams.
Consuming too much sugar can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. Keep your sugar consumption in check! Most Americans consume more than double the recommended daily amount of sugar per day.
Chocolate Has Its Limits
Chocolate is criticized for its high sugar and calories, both of which could lead to heart complications and diabetes. However, studies have also demonstrated that dark chocolate can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke by 40%. So how much of it can you eat in a day without long-term consequences?
Doctors from Cleveland Clinic recommend 1.5 to three ounces of chocolate per day to limit calories and sugar. One and a half ounces comes out to one-fourth cup, while three ounces is about half a cup. Remember that dark chocolate, with 50% to 70% cocoa, is the healthiest.
Bean, Beans, The Musical Fruit
It's no secret that eating too many beans can leave you with a gassy upset stomach. One cup of beans supplies half of your daily recommended fiber, so eating too much can leave people feeling worse. According to Cleveland Clinic, doctors recommend eating at least three servings of beans and legumes per week. Aim for between three and five.
But beans have another risk. According to the National Headache Foundation, some beans contain the substance tyramine, which can trigger migraines. If you struggle with headaches or migraines, you'll want to limit your bean and legume consumption.
Pineapple Eaten In Excess Can Cause Heartburn
Pineapple's sweet flavor is hard to resist and even though it's a sticky fruit, the mess is always worth it. Pineapple is packed with high amounts of vitamin C and bromelain. While vitamin C is beneficial, too much of it can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or heartburn, according to San Diego traditionalist Laura Flores.
High amounts of bromelain can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes, among other side effects. It's best to stick to one serving size, which will also keep your sugar intake at bay.
Too Many Cherries Can Have A Laxative Effect
Eating too many cherries could make you feel like you took a laxative. And the effect on your body won't be too different. Cherries contain a lot of soluble fiber, says Registered Dietitian Suzanne Dixon. They also provide sugar alcohols and salicylates, which some people may be particularly sensitive to.
Dixon recommends sticking to one serving: 1/2 cup, or seven cherries. If you don't experience abdominal pains or a laxative effect, you may eat more. While this health effect may not be the worst, you won't want it to kick in at an inconvenient time.
Consume Spinach In Moderation
While eating spinach every day can be healthy, don't overdo it. Spinach is high in oxalic acid, an anti-nutrient that binds minerals to create compounds. According to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, too much of spinach's oxalic acid can disrupt the body from absorbing other nutrients.
Those who have had kidney stones may want to lower their oxalic acid consumption. In 2011, researchers noted that the anti-nutrient may form kidney stones over time. However, you would need about 7.3 pounds of spinach to cause death. Stick to one-half to one cup of spinach per day, and you should be fine.
There's An Omega-3 Limit
Found in salmon, oysters, and sardines, omega-3 fatty acids are essential for brain and heart function. Studies indicate that they can lower your risk of heart disease and cognitive decline. But if you eat over six grams of omega-3s per day, you could suffer from health consequences.
In 2011, research in NDT Plus showed that 13 to 14 grams of omega-3s could thin peoples' blood. This poses a health risk, especially for those prone to bleeding or on blood-thinning medication. Be careful if you decide to take omega-3 or fish oil supplements, and don't eat fatty fish all the time.
Limit Your Rice Intake
Some types of rice contain the toxin arsenic. In high doses, arsenic can cause vertigo, abdominal pain, and vomiting. But according to the FDA, you'd need between 2.6 and 7.2 micrograms of arsenic to be poisoned. That would require you to eat almost seven million servings of rice.
That said, white rice can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a 2012 study in BMJ. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends four ounces of grains per day. Since a half-cup of rice is one ounce, you can eat up to two cups of brown rice per day.
Grapes Could Affect Your Gut
In small quantities, grapes are an excellent snack with natural sweetness. While it's better to sit on the couch and snack on grapes rather than, say, potato chips, too many grapes may give you an upset stomach.
Grapes are a good source of fiber, containing around 1.5 grams of fiber per cup. If you don't typically include a decent amount of fiber in your diet, eating too many grapes can cause an upset stomach; either constipation or diarrhea. It's recommended that you stick to around 30 grapes per serving.
Too Many Prunes Could Spell Disaster
Prunes have beneficial antioxidant and detoxifying properties and are often recommended to naturally prevent constipation. Loaded with chromium, potassium, selenium, and other minerals, prunes can help move food through the colon. Consuming too many of them, as you might imagine, can cause too much of a laxative effect.
If you're snacking on a bag of prunes, it's best to pour one serving size into a bowl and put the rest away, unless you want to be running to the bathroom. A serving size is about four to five prunes, according to the Institute of Medicine Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020.
Be Careful With Blueberries
Blueberries provide a lot of benefits, so it may be surprising to learn that you can eat too many. Blueberries have high levels of fiber, which can help keep the digestive system health, but too many can cause bloating, diarrhea, and stomach discomfort.
The fruit also contains plenty of Vitamin K, which in high doses can lead to difficulty in swallowing, breathing, and may cause an increased risk of internal bleeding, bruising, and skin rashes, according to Mayo Clinic. Half a cup of blueberries is a good portion size to stick to.
Reduce Red Meat
The World Health Organization has recently classified red meat as a cancer-causing food. For some health advocates, this claim was overdue. Research has connected over-consuming red meat to diseases for years, and one Harvard study linked eating too much red meat to a 13% higher risk of dying prematurely.
The World Cancer Research Fund recommends limiting red meat to three portions per week. Each portion can be between 12 and 18 ounces or 300 to 500 grams. Smoked, salted, and cured red meats pose the highest risk since they're processed with more salt and chemicals.
Watch Your Tomato Intake
Tomatoes can be a tasty and fresh ingredient to work into various meals, including salads and pasta sauces. Although the fruit has beneficial antioxidant properties, it can also have a negative effect on your health if you consume too much in a short amount of time.
When eaten in excess, tomatoes can cause acid reflux, skin rashes, and kidney stones, according to NDTV Food. Solanine, found in tomatoes, can also cause calcium build-up in tissues, which can cause inflammation and joint pain. Avoid harmful side effects by sticking to one serving of tomatoes, which is one cup.
There's Such A Thing As Too Many Carrots
Have you ever been told that eating too many carrots will turn your skin orange? As it turns out, this isn't just urban legend. According to UCSB ScienceLine, carrots have their orange color due to a pigment called beta-carotene. If you eat an excessive amount of carrots, the beta-carotene enters the bloodstream and instead of breaking down, it's deposited in the skin.
This may cause a condition called carotenemia, turning the skin a slight orange color. While it may be startling to see, it's harmless and will go away with time.
How Many Bananas Is Too Many?
Bananas are healthy and they're full of potassium, which is good for you in manageable doses. Once, Ricky Gervais told Karl Pilkington that eating more than six bananas could give you potassium poisoning. That isn't exactly true. You're safe with six bananas unless you have some severe kidney problems.
You'd reach your recommended daily dose of potassium after about 7.5 bananas, and you'd need to eat close to 400 banans to get potassium poisoning.
Be Careful What You Juice
Too much of a good thing? It's surprising to learn that eating too many vegetables at one time could be harmful to your health, but it's true. Cruciferous vegetables, which include Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cabbage, and collard greens have many benefits when eaten in proper portions.
But because these veggies contain thiocyanates, eating too much can lead to blocked iodine absorption and a condition called hypothyroidism, according to PubMed Central. People who have thyroid issues should avoid consuming these vegetables in large amounts, including kale juices.
Radishes May Affect Your Kidneys
Radishes have been known for their beauty and health benefits, but consuming too many may lead to negative health effects. The root vegetable is a diuretic, which can help remove toxins from the body when eaten. This is great when consumed in moderation.
Eating too many radishes can lead to dehydration and the risk of a urinary tract infection, according to Good Health All. Eating the root vegetable in excess can also put stress on the kidneys, so it's best to stick to 1/2 cup of radishes, which provides 14 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, without the negative effects.
Careful With Bread
In recent years, bread has been criticized as a health danger. Too many carbs! Too much sugar! But the truth is that you can eat bread and still be healthy--you can even lose weight. Eat whole-grain bread if you want to avoid blood sugar spikes and rapid weight gain.
The USDA recommends five to six servings of grains for women and six to eight for men. If one slice of bread is one serving, that's six slices per day, provided that you eat no other grains. Otherwise, you put yourself at risk of diabetes and heart disease.
How Much Butter Is Too Much?
While butter isn't a health-destroyer, too much of it poses some risk. About 63% of fat in butter is saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fat intake. Although it's not as bad as trans fat, too much saturated fat threatens heart health, according to The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends keeping saturated fat under 10% of your daily calories. That's between two and three tablespoons of butter per day. According to 2016 research, eating butter moderately can even lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Almonds Should Be Eaten In Moderation
Almonds provide healthy fats and plenty of protein. But because they're so fat-filled, too many nuts can hurt your body more than help it. They're also high in calories--one ounce has 163 calories and 14 grams of fat. Too much can increase your weight and blood pressure, no matter how healthy almonds seem.
Nutrition Australia recommends 30 grams of nuts per day, which equals about one ounce. Taking this into account, you're safe to eat 23 almonds per day. That's more than enough to make a snack or use as a garnish on a meal.
Strawberries Can Damage Your Teeth
As a superfood, strawberries are packed with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. But you might not know that they pose a risk for your teeth. Unlike other fruits, strawberries are highly acidic. Too many can erode your tooth enamel, and once that's lost, it doesn't grow back. Strawberries can also discolor your teeth and make them sensitive.
According to the USDA, the daily recommended fruit serving is 1.5 to two cups, which equals seven strawberries. But the amount doesn't matter as much as the consistency. 1-800-DENTIST recommends waiting a few hours between strawberry servings to let your saliva neutralize the acid.
There's Caffeine In Black Tea
If you're a tea fan, you'll want to listen up. Many types of tea contain caffeine, and black tea is the most highly caffeinated of all. That's why too much black tea is possibly unsafe, according to WebMD. It could cause heartburn, stomach irritation, headache, confusion, dizziness, or irregular heartbeat.
Drinking over 10 grams of caffeine from black tea is too much. One cup packs about 47 milligrams. But one to two cups of black tea can improve mental clarity and help your heart health.
Cashews May Cause Problems
Cashews contain two amino acids, tyramine and phenylethylamine. Although they're both essential for our bodies, some people have a sensitivity to them. Too many cashews can cause headaches from these amino acids. Plus, their high fat content can add up to a disease risk over time.
If we go by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 30 grams of cashews per day comes out to 15 cashews. Weight-management expert Dr. Gargi Sharma recommends only five cashews for those with a sensitivity. If you don't experience side effects from cashews, eat up to 15 per day.
Fries Overload
Let's be real: fries are delicious. But they're also packed with starch, oil, and fat. Harvard nutrition professor Eric Rimm famously (or infamously) wished that every restaurant meal came with just six French fries -- no more. But do you really need six to avoid the long-term diabetes and heart disease consequences?
According to News Corp Australia, the recommended portion of fries is 15 chips. Starchy vegetables have a five-serving daily limit, and an average fries has almost that much. Keep in mind that researchers recommend a max of four servings per week. That's one average container of fries per week.
We All Scream For Ice Cream
Although many health articles recommend limiting dessert, they rarely specify how much to limit it. For instance, how much ice cream can you eat before you suffer from blood sugar spikes? Like butter, ice cream is also high in saturated fat that can result in heart problems over time.
The American Heart Association recommends 37.5 grams of sugar daily for men and 25 grams for women. Half a cup of ice cream contains 14 grams of sugar on average, which is half of your daily amount. Knowing that, stick to a couple of teaspoons per day, or eating ice cream up to twice a week.
Too Many Figs
Figs are incredibly high in fiber, and some people eat them to relieve constipation. But too many figs can actually harm your stomach. Because figs are hard to digest, they can cause bloating and stomach upset. They can also strain the liver and intestines, since they're difficult for the body to process.
You can avoid these problems by eating only the recommended amount of figs. One serving of figs comes out to four fruits, and that's all you need to reap the benefits. Although you can eat three servings of fruit per day, one serving of figs already has one-fourth of your daily fiber.
Asparagus Can Affect People Differently
With plenty of anti-inflammatories, vitamins, and antioxidants, asparagus neatly fits into a balanced diet. But they have a notorious side effect: bad-smelling pee. Nutritionist Laura Flores says that asparagus doesn't have life-threatening risks other than the noticeable smell and stomach upset.
Concerning the stink, not everyone can smell it. This is a mystery that scientists are still trying to figure out. One serving of asparagus--about five spears--should be fine for most people. Many can eat more without experiencing side effects. It depends on the body's sensitivity to the vegetable.