You must have been eating burgers at McDonald’s for a very long time now but have ever wondered how it can deteriorate your body. Although, there are very healthy food options available there, most of them can cause long-term damage to your health.
McDonald’s food is bad for the body as it has higher calories, fats, sodium and sugar contents than the average requirement of a human being. According to Science Alert, McDonald’s most famous burger Big Mac contains so many calories and fats that it can take 3 days for the human body to completely digest it.
It has also been reported by PETA that the chicken used by McDonald’s is raised in filthy sheds and drugged to grow large quickly. Even if these allegations were wrong, still their nutritional servings are higher than the body requires. Now, let’s see the facts about the fast-food chain which are really going to shock you.
How McDonald’s Food Can Damage Your Body?
1. Contains Animal Fat
Most of the food items in the McDonald’s menu have high calories and cholesterol. Their world-famous french fries even contain animal fat. Earlier, they used to fry the fries in animal fat, but now vegetable oil is used. This made the fries less tasty, so they decided to add beef flavoring to the fries.
The average cholesterol requirement is 300 mg per day and taking more than the average can cause heart problems, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, cognitive decline and depression.
Below is the list of famous menu items at McDonald’s and the amount of cholesterol they contain.
| Menu Item | Cholesterol |
|---|---|
| French Fries (Kids) | 0 mg |
| French Fries (Small) | 0 mg |
| French Fries (Medium) | 0 mg |
| French Fries (Large) | 0 mg |
| Big Mac | 80 mg |
| Egg McMuffin | 250 mg |
| Baked Apple Pie | 0 mg |
| Chicken McNuggets (4 pieces) | 25 mg |
| Double Cheeseburger | 85 mg |
(Note- This data has been referenced from McDonald’s nutrition calculator)
2. Body Feels Full
Ever felt fullness in your body after eating at McDonald’s. Their burgers are so greasy and contain high calories. So, higher calories mean it takes more time to digest. This means you will feel full for a longer time and maybe even heavy.
There was research conducted and it was known that the chain’s famous burger Big Mac takes nearly 3 days to completely digest and pass out of the body.
According to the NHS, the average daily calories intake for men is 2500 and 2000 for women. Big Mac contains 550 cal and considering you will also eat other meals, and you can become obese. Intake of calories in excess can also cause high blood pressure, heart diseases, diabetes, gallstones and cancer.
Below is the list of famous menu items at McDonald’s and the amount of calories they contain.
| Menu Item | Calories |
| French Fries (Kids) | 110 cal |
| French Fries (Small) | 220 cal |
| French Fries (Medium) | 320 cal |
| French Fries (Large) | 490 cal |
| Big Mac | 550 cal |
| Egg McMuffin | 310 cal |
| Baked Apple Pie | 230 cal |
| Chicken McNuggets (1 piece) | 42 cal |
| Double Cheeseburger | 450 cal |
(Note- This data has been referenced from McDonald’s nutrition calculator)
3. Higher Salt Content
If your blood pressure increases after having a tasty meal at McDonald’s, then it’s not your fault. The burger chain serves meals that contain a higher level of sodium than the body requires.
An average person requires nearly 2300 mg of sodium per day and 1500 mg for people with high blood pressure. But the McDonald’s most famous burger Big Mac contains 1010 mg salt. Considering you will also order some other food items from the menu and eat other meals throughout the day, think about where your sodium levels will be headed.
According to Harvard T.H. Chan, higher sodium levels in the body can increase blood pressure. It can also cause bloating, stroke and calcium losses.
Below is the list of famous menu items at McDonald’s and the amount of sodium they contain.
| Menu Item | Sodium |
| French Fries (Kids) | 90 mg |
| French Fries (Small) | 180 mg |
| French Fries (Medium) | 260 mg |
| French Fries (Large) | 400 mg |
| Big Mac | 1010 mg |
| Egg McMuffin | 770 mg |
| Baked Apple Pie | 100 mg |
| Chicken McNuggets (4 pieces) | 330 mg |
| Double Cheeseburger | 1120 mg |
(Note- This data has been referenced from McDonald’s nutrition calculator)
4. Unhealthy Fats
McDonald’s burgers contain a lot of fat which is not much healthier for the body. The recommended fat per day is about 50-83 g. Increased fat levels can cause blood levels of triglycerides to rise. They are a type of lipid in which the most fat content exists in the food and body.
Normally, they get cleared within a few hours, but in the case of low fiber food, it becomes difficult. It can cause arteries to harden and increase the risk of stroke and heart diseases. You may also suffer from constipation due to the lack of dietary fiber.
Below is the list of famous menu items at McDonald’s and the amount of fats they contain.
| Menu Item | Total Fat |
| French Fries (Kids) | 5 g |
| French Fries (Small) | 10 g |
| French Fries (Medium) | 15 g |
| French Fries (Large) | 23 g |
| Big Mac | 30 g |
| Egg McMuffin | 13 g |
| Baked Apple Pie | 11 g |
| Chicken McNuggets (4 piece) | 10 g |
| Double Cheeseburger | 24 g |
(Note- This data has been referenced from McDonald’s nutrition calculator)
5. Higher Sugar
McDonald’s desserts contain a higher level of sugar than the body needs. The average amount of sugar that the body needs per day are:
- Men: 38 g or 9 tsp
- Women: 25 g or 6 tsp
- Children: 25 g or 6 tsp
High blood sugar can cause hyperglycemia and gut microbiomes to get destroyed.
Below is the list of famous menu items at McDonald’s and the amount of fats they contain.
| Menu Item | Sugar |
| Hot Fudge Sundae | 44 g |
| Baked Apple Pie | 14 g |
| Oreo McFlurry | 60 g |
| Hot Caramel Sundae | 41 g |
(Note- This data has been referenced from McDonald’s nutrition calculator)
You must be worried about the bad effects that McDonald’s food has been causing on your body. But it’s never too late! You can order some healthy options at their outlets or stop eating there. If you would like to add or ask something, then you can do so in the comment section below.