There’s nothing more deadly and dangerous for your health than processed foods. But there are also natural foods that, in excess, can be extremely harmful to you.  Here’s a list of toxic foods you should’ve stopped eating a long time ago.

So, you’ve been trying to eat healthier? Good for you. It seems like you’ve made all the necessary changes to get your body and mind to the next level. But hold that thought for a second — there are dangers within many foods we consider healthy nowadays.

Despite the immense amount of information available online for free, we still see people of all ages making inconceivable nutrition-related mistakes. Why is this the case? People may believe they don’t have time to prepare healthy food or don’t deem themselves rich enough to prepare healthy meals. But hold that thought for a bit — it’s really simple to dispute these claims.

Some of these foods are also heavily promoted because it’s in the big corporations’ interest that we eat cheap and bad food. At least half of the entries on this list will surprise you. It’s interesting to see that, even though many of these foods are healthy per se, excessive consumption may have terrible health consequences. Let’s start, shall we?

Deli Meats

While people are seeing how damaging fast food is to your organism, there are still many things to worry about. Deli meats are one of those things. Everyone likes a good sandwich because it takes a few minutes to whip up, right? Sure, but you’ll think about investing a little bit more effort next time.

Deli meats are full of dangerous chemical agents as well as ground bones, internal organs and everything else you want to avoid. There is also N-nitroso, a carcinogenic matter, in deli meats.

Almonds

Don’t get us wrong: There are good almonds. Those are sweet, full of valuable nutrients and proteins, and ideal for a fast snack on the go. And then you have bitter almonds. They contain certain amounts of hydrogen cyanide, which is one of the most poisonous substances on earth.

There are cases when bitter almonds accidentally fall into a batch of sweet ones. Always check the label when you buy these nuts or you might end up falling severely sick. Avoiding such situations is easy — you just have to be careful.

Juices

There are numerous times when we’re at a party but want to drink something healthy. We reject Coke, soda and energy drinks and accept juices. That’s a good choice, right? Not so fast! Juices are full of sugar — even more than soda in some cases. Therefore, if you’re trying to live healthy, juices are not an option.

If you really like the taste of fruit, buy a fruit squeezer and you can make any juice you want on short notice. Just mix the freshly squeezed juice with water and you’ll have a drink to sip on while staying healthy.

Hot dogs

While they may be a greasy meal that can bring you back to life after a long night of partying, hot dogs are incredibly dangerous. Every piece of meat is processed. To save money, meat processing companies grind bones, claws and even liver just to be able to fill up the quota of “meat” needed.

If you really want to eat something fat and tasty, find some barbecue. Although it isn’t healthy, you can be sure that a piece of chicken breast or turkey is completely natural. But that’s not all you need to know about this…

Be careful

Hot dogs are packed with processed meat and carcinogenic preserving agents, but there is one other hazard: choking. Since their texture is so smooth, people oftentimes forget to chew them, and as a result, they become lodged within your throat.

If nobody reacts fast, a piece of meat may become lodged in your windpipe and lead to an early death. One statistic is especially scary: Out of all the choking-related deaths of children under the age of 10, hot dogs are responsible for 17% of them. Yikes.

Oreos

One of the most famous cookie brands in the world is not one you should swear by. Double-stuffed versions are especially bad for you, as they contain up to 3.5 teaspoons of pure sugar. If you’ve ever wondered about how the filling is so sweet, now you have the answer.

These treats are infused with all sorts of substances and sugar so that they don’t get spoiled easily. In fact, one Oreo cookie contains up to 70 calories. In comparison, one large banana contains just 105 calories in addition to a large amount of healthy micronutrients.

Other cookies too

Numerous cookie brands feature products with the same amount of sugar per cookie — some are even worse. However, some people think that a lack of a cream filling equals less sugar. This is completely wrong, so be sure to avoid such treats in the future.

There are also many kinds of vegetable oil in these cookies used to improve the texture. These contain all sorts of damaging fatty acids, many of them amounting to an increased risk of cancer and heart conditions. If you were thinking about eating these, don’t.

Homemade pastries

There is no way that you can eat dessert now, right? It most definitely seems like it. Everything that’s sweet and doesn’t come from nature is apparently a hazard. Your mom or wife might take the time to make homemade pastries, but they are just as dangerous.

Refined white sugar, refined flour and shortening are all known contributors to many kinds of cancers. This is without mentioning the immense weight gain you might experience from just a few bites every now and then. It’s not a joke.

Ice cream

Although ice cream has a cooling effect on your mouth and throat, it can have detrimental effects afterward. It’s packed with fat, as many oils are added to the mixture to make it homogenous. As a result, your blood cholesterol levels will surely spike like never before.

Blood cholesterol is a known contributor to strokes and other problems within your body. Fruits are sweet and equally delicious, but without even a speck of artificial additions. The next time you’re craving ice cream, think twice.

Artificial sweeteners

Oftentimes, we want to be careful and look at how much sugar there is in a meal or drink. When we cast a glance at the label, we see low sugar content and immediately buy it. Hold that thought.

Take Diet Coke, for example, it has no real sugar, but it contains something more dangerous: aspartame and saccharine, both of which are carcinogenic artificial sweeteners. Companies are obliged to list them, but they are never written in big letters or on the nutrition label. They are usually under it, so explore the packaging to see if you’re putting yourself at risk.

Pancakes

A popular breakfast choice is pancakes. Although it might seem enticing to have the option of filling your stomach with a big meal, pancakes have more downsides than advantages. Filled with saturated fatty acids, sugar and lots of salt, pancakes can lead to diseases like diabetes and hypertension if you eat them too often.

Many restaurants have introduced protein pancakes, but they pose the same danger as regular ones — they just have more protein. If you’re going to eat them, eat them for lunch.

Cereal

Cereal became one of the most popular foods a few decades ago. You don’t really have to do anything but fill up a bowl and pack it with milk and cereal to enjoy your breakfast. However, you might want to sacrifice this convenience to save your health.

Many cereal boxes don’t list all the sugar their product contains, with many additives also being included in the mix. A good piece of toast along with some eggs and milk or squeezed juice is a much better option. With that said, you can have some organic cereal if you’re in a hurry.

Another cereal danger

Many cereals are being advertised as excellent dietary supplements containing many useful micro and macronutrients. Although this might seem like an added bonus, hold your horses. Cereals contain large quantities of nutrients like zinc, vitamin A and niacin.

A single bowl of cereal can contain up to 40% of your daily intake of these nutrients. Because they are contained in almost everything, you might run the risk of consuming too much of these substances, which can have serious consequences. Be careful.

Diet sodas

We’ve mentioned how dangerous aspartame and other artificial sweeteners may be, but this is just the beginning when it comes to diet sodas. Chemicals, preservatives, food coloring — all this stuff is completely artificial and can seriously damage your health.

Heart attacks, kidney stones and other medical conditions are more prevalent in people who drink these sodas on a regular basis. Most people are addicted to the fizzy feeling, but a good alternative might be natural sparkling water. It has the same feel, but it’s completely harmless.

Salty snacks

After all the sweet entries on this list, you might think that salty is the way to go. There is no sugar and sugar is a major health hazard, so that must mean they’re OK, right? Not quite. Trail mix and other types of salty snacks contain lots of salt.

They might seem like they’re slightly salty, but the salt content within the food itself is immense. Too much salt also impacts blood pressure and causes water retention, which leads to a lot of weight gain over a short period of time. If you want something salty, opt for any kind of nuts.

Potato chips especially

These bad boys are a true danger to your organism. They’re packed with so much salt that it sticks to your fingers later. Also, the potatoes are mechanically cut and then deep-fried for a long time. That’s why they’re so stiff. Some companies reportedly fry their chips twice to “improve the taste.”

This is just another reason you should stay clear of such products. Plus, the salt and fat fool your stomach into thinking it’s full, but they will only pass through your organism and make you hungry later on.

French fries

Have you ever seen how French fries are prepared in restaurants and fast food joints? They literally dump them in a gallon of oil and leave them to be deep-fried for a couple of minutes. That way, the fries soak up all the salt in the fryer, and it all goes into your body.

Eating that much oil will cause your blood cholesterol levels to spike drastically. If you really love potatoes, you can bake them and add some sour cream along with spices. It’s much healthier, tastier and makes you actually full.

Fried foods in general

A good way to help your health get back to normal is to avoid eating fried foods completely. Although it might seem like a hard thing to accomplish, it’s for your own good. Many people get tricked into eating fried foods just because the food is healthy in its initial form.

Even the most beneficial veggies become unhealthy when soaked in oil the entire day. Indulging in fried chicken is the most common sin. Barbecued chicken breast is completely natural, much cheaper and can actually help you gain muscle mass. It’s not a bad choice.

Pork

Pork, in general, is one of the unhealthiest meats. This is because pigs have a generally tough muscle structure, which prevents your stomach from digesting it fast enough. Slow-digesting foods may lead to colon cancer, intestinal problems and severe pain in the abdomen.

This also affects the way your body absorbs all other nutrients, which is borderline unacceptable. Turkey, chicken and fish are much better alternatives. Moreover, they’re not too expensive either. Eating a steak once every few weeks is OK as well.

Red meat in general

You thought we were done with unhealthy meat? There are so many things to avoid other than pork. Beef, veal, venison, lamb and even goat are all considered unhealthy. The key is not to eat them that often, but avoiding them completely is also bad.

There is a substance called creatine that is instrumental in transporting energy to your brain and heart. This is why you have to eat red meat every once in a while. However, you have to be careful about how the meat is prepared and if it’s detrimental to your stomach.

Cheese too?

We’re not on a mission to ruin all your favorite foods — we promise. We just want to bring you the truth about what you’re eating on a daily basis. Cheese is one of those silent killers that can damage your body if they are mixed with immoderate use.

On the bright side, cheese is a great source of natural protein, vitamin A, zinc, and other useful substances. Many people consider it to be a cheap and excellent choice to add to their daily diet. Despite this, there are some properties of cheese that might end up killing you. What are they?

Packed with fat

Cheese is incredibly high in calories, but it isn’t unhealthy on its own. It’s the lack of moderation that kills you and leads to immense weight gain. Americans as a nation have a habit of putting cheese on everything. It’s prepared with eggs, put on pizza and even nachos are being dipped in melted cheese.

Here’s a scary statistic: In 1970, Americans ate eight pounds of cheese on average. In 2013, that number spiked all the way up to 23 pounds, which is a great way to endanger your own health. Yikes.

Sweetened yogurt

Yogurt is one of the healthiest substances you can eat. It’s processed milk in a completely natural way, and it does wonders for your organism. However, we’re talking about regular yogurt. Sweetened yogurt is bad because a whole lot of sweeteners, sugars and substances are used to alter the taste and texture of the original yogurt.

Many digestive diseases are solved by regular yogurt, but what exactly makes frozen yogurt so bad? It’s been a trap for many people who are trying to lose weight while wanting to sneak in something sweet every once in a while.

Too much sugar, dude

Let’s get this straight: Frozen yogurt is among the least dangerous foods on this list. Eating it every once in a while is good because you can get a whole lot of nutrients without losing time. However, sweetened yogurt is a bad choice to eat too often, mostly because it contains so much corn syrup, coloring agents and other unnatural additions.

Therefore, it can be said that flavored yogurt is a good choice if you want to treat yourself every once in a while. More than that? You should say no.

Coffee is not what it seems

Ah yes, everyone’s favorite drink. We can’t count how many Mondays it allowed us to survive while staying awake, alert and prepared to take on the challenges of the day. However, this doesn’t mean that you should overdo it and drink a thousand cups a day.

Too much coffee can lead to a heart attack and other similar issues. Why? Caffeine is a stimulant. Stimulants have a habit of putting a strain on your organism if you administer them too much. Overdoing it with coffee can also lead to insomnia and more…

Pasta – too many carbs

Nutritionists overreact when they say pasta is dangerous, but there are some things to consider. Almost all kinds of pasta are packed with carbs and have a really high glycemic index. This is directly linked to spikes in blood sugar and the development of diabetes if you’re not careful.

Add the fact that most pasta dishes are prepared with salty toppings, processed meats and sweeteners, and you’ll realize that frequent trips to your local Italian restaurants are trips to an early grave. There are alternatives, like veggie pasta, but they’re a bit more expensive.

Bread

Although it is a staple of many people’s diet, you should be avoiding too much bread. Why is this the case? Well, having the option of eating bread is good if you’re looking to fill your stomach in a hurry. It’s full of starch and carbs, though, which makes it unhealthy in large amounts.

Thankfully, bread is healthy if it’s whole wheat and you don’t eat it too often. Two or three slices a day are OK. Remember, if you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t eat bread at least four hours before bedtime. All those carbs will turn into fat tissue.

Honey

Raw honey seems like it’s the healthiest food on the planet, but there is a certain hazard connected to it. It’s called grayanotoxin, and it’s a substance that causes severe nausea, vomiting and weakness on so many fronts.

The solution that can remove any hazards from your life is eating pasteurized honey. The pasteurization process removes grayanotoxin from the mix, and you can still enjoy all the health benefits of honey. Processing foods is not always bad, especially if it’s for a good cause like removing toxins.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is not necessarily dangerous, but it can cause some unpleasant occurrences if you’re not careful enough. Apparently, rhubarb — although grown in most people’s gardens — is a known container of oxalic acid, a compound that is used in Chinese medicine as a laxative.

Thus, rhubarb should only be used as a spice to alter the flavor of a dish. Using it as a salad is definitely bad news, mostly because you will find yourself running to the bathroom too often. Don’t overdo it and stay safe.

Nutmeg

We all love adding nutmeg to cookies and homemade sweets. However, this useful spice has a dark property that many are not aware of. It’s a potent hallucinogenic substance that can cause severe hallucinations and seizures if you eat too much of it.

Malcolm X actually wrote in 1965 that he ate too much nutmeg, and he compared it to a whole night of smoking marijuana. That’s right: Nutmeg comes from a plant that induces hallucinations. If a recipe explicitly says a little bit of nutmeg, follow it and stay safe. Please.

Candy bars

There are obviously sweet candy bars that just attack your taste buds will all the sugar, but that’s not the whole story. Most renowned candy bar makers manufacture their products using low-quality wheat flour along with processed fats and even some artificial coloring agents.

This is a true fact for almost every candy bar, and you should keep your eyes open. Energy bars are the same, but they can be used as an emergency snack before a workout to help you get that punch you need. But why?

Even energy bars cause weight gain

Yes, this is a completely correct statement. People don’t realize that just because a bar contains a lot of protein, it doesn’t mean that it’s automatically healthy. Yes, it may be a better option than eating regular candy bars, but you are responsible for what you put in your body.

Despite the protein content and energy you will gain, there are a whole lot of calories within the bars, making them one of the most fattening snacks in existence. However, if you’re an athlete, you will easily burn the fat off and use the energy to your advantage.

The cancer risk with coffee

We’ve already discussed the way coffee impacts us. Due to caffeine, a known stimulant, coffee can cause heart attacks, seizures and other complications if it’s consumed too often and in too high amounts. This isn’t the whole story, though. Coffee also contains acrylamide, a byproduct of roasting coffee.

This compound can cause cancer if you drink too much highly roasted coffee. Therefore, if you have the option of choosing the blend you want to drink, always opt for a lighter sort simply because it contains much less acrylamide.

There is also the stress

Coffee is great if you’re drinking it in moderate doses. Everyone faces a situation when they’re sleepy and have to complete a report or schoolwork, but keep moderation in mind and know when you sleep. You’re probably going to be stressed out, but too much coffee might stimulate your existing thoughts — ones related to stress.

That way, you will enter a never-ending cycle of stress and worry, which can really impact the way you think, act and how your body behaves. Stress can lead to fatigue, weight gain, ulcers and much more. Exercise moderation, please.

Cashews

First of all, cashews are one of the healthiest snacks you can ingest. You don’t have to eat a lot of them to get all the micro and macronutrients your body needs. However, there are two kinds of cashews: steamed and non-steamed. The difference?

Non-steamed ones contain urushiol, a substance that is found in poison ivy. Not only are most people allergic to it, but even if you’re not, you can suffer liver damage, stomach pain and more. In fact, people who have eaten too many raw cashews have fallen into a coma. Stay away from raw ones!

Tomato stems

When you were a kid watching your mom prepare food, did you ever notice something odd when it comes to cutting tomatoes? You know, that move with the knife to cut the stem? This isn’t without reason. Every part of the tomato plant, except the fruit, is very toxic.

Eating tomato stems can cause early death. A simple solution to this problem is just to be meticulous when cutting out the stem parts and sticking to the fruit. Also, don’t buy unripe tomatoes, as they can cause stomach problems.

Tuna

Tuna is a valuable source of protein, but that doesn’t mean it can be eaten in insane doses. The reason? Mercury. Most of us have been taught that mercury is a dangerous poison, but our bodies have evolved to withstand small doses without any consequences whatsoever.

Therefore, you only have to stick to small amounts of tuna. Also, canned tuna is not all that bad, but it’s drenched in plant oil, which is also full of saturated fats. Eat tuna responsibly, and you won’t have any problems with your health.

Rice

There is a reason why rice is the staple of many people’s diets. It’s filled with carbs and it provides energy while being dirt-cheap. However, eating too much rice can have consequences for your health — and visible ones at that.

Due to a high glycemic index, rice can cause diabetes at a later age, especially with people who have eaten it on a daily basis for decades. Therefore, it can be said that rice has to be eaten in moderation. Also, you have to be careful when you prepare it. Adding too much salt or artificial additives might make it even unhealthier.

Margarine

Remember when nutritionists were promoting margarine as a healthier and better alternative to butter? We do too, but it’s time to scrap that information and return to reality. Margarine, unlike butter, is full of artificial ingredients that can severely damage your health.

Trans fats are a major player in the effect margarine has on your health. It goes through several stages of processing before it arrives on the shelves of your local supermarket. Butter is a safer option, but you already know the drill: Don’t overdo it.

How can you make pizza healthier?

Pizza is everyone’s favorite food, but it’s often made with tasty yet unhealthy ingredients. The first step to making a healthy pizza is finding a whole grain basis. Then, you can add tomato sauce, chicken and tons of veggies on top.

Depending on your taste, you can add the vegetables after the pizza is done or you can also bake them with the pizza. Athletes also have a habit of adding tasteless protein powder to the dough to get more nutritional value. Food is all about experimenting — everything can be healthy if you invest enough effort.