What happens when you eat too much Takis?

In this short article, we will answer the question “What happens when you eat too much Takis?” and discuss the risks and benefits of eating Takis and what are possible healthy alternatives to Takis.

What happens when you eat too much Takis?

Consumption of too much takis can cause an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. In addition to having a high sodium content and a deficiency in essential nutrients, takis chips undergo a significant amount of processing and refining. 

The intake of high amounts of sodium can also lead to negative effects, especially high blood pressure. Several studies demonstrate that there is a high correlation between the ingestion of processed food, such as snacks, fast food, seasoning and others, with higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity (1,2).

What about takis makes them bad for your health?

The high amount of saturated fats added to the high amount of sodium, and the presence of many food additives, such as colorings, flavorings and others, in a portion make takis and other similar snacks bad for your health (1,2).

For instance, the option Takis hot nuts contains 4.5 g of saturated fat, which equals to 23% of the daily ingestion limit, and 620 mg of sodium, which equals to 27% of the daily ingestion limit, in the portion of only 90 g (3).

Saturated fats and sodium are found in highly processed industrialized foods and their consumption increases the risks of developing metabolic diseases, such as obesity and cancer, according to studies in many countries.

The ingestion of food additives is related to high incidences of allergies. Flavorings and preservatives can lead to skin and respiratory allergic responses, including asthma and dermatitis (4).  

What are the risks of eating too much Takis?

The risks of eating too much Takis are (1,2,4,5):

  • Increased risks of developing heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancer, rheumatic diseases, and others
  • Increased risks of having allergic reactions due to the presence of many food additives, including flavorings, preservatives and colorings
  • Increased risks of suffering from malnutrition, due to the ingestion of nutrient poor foods in the place of nutrient dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and whole cereals

What is the healthier Takis option?

The healthier Takis option may be Takis hot nuts fuego that, although having a high amount of saturated fats and sodium, contains 14 g of proteins and 5 g of fibers, in addition to unsaturated fatty acids. It also contains 450 mg of potassium (3).

In this way, it can contribute to the ingestion of these important nutrients (8):

Fibers: contribute to the healthy gut function 

Proteins: essential nutrient to form the body structure and maintain the body functions

Unsaturated fatty acids: protect organs and provide energy to the body

Potassium: important to the proper muscle contraction and equilibrium of the pH of the blood

What are healthy snack options for Takis?

Healthy snack options for Takis are (6,7):

  • Nuts and seeds: contain healthy fatty acids, which improve memory and brain functions
  • Berries: Strawberries, blueberries contain antioxidants and fibers
  • Fruit: Apples, grapes, bananas contain vitamins, minerals and fibers 
  • Dark chocolate: contains antioxidant and improves mood 
  • Cheese: contains proteins, calcium and vitamin B
  • Popcorn: contains fibers and antioxidants

Conclusion

In this short article, we answered the question “What happens when you eat too much Takis?” and discussed the risks and benefits of eating Takis and what are possible healthy alternatives to Takis.

Reference

  1. Abu Bakar, Nur Ain Fatinah, et al. Association between a dietary pattern high in saturated fatty acids, dietary energy density, and sodium with coronary heart disease. Scient rep, 2022, 12, 13049. 
  2. Nardocci M, Polsky JY, Moubarac JC. Consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with obesity, diabetes and hypertension in Canadian adults. Can J Public Health. 2021, 3, 421-429 
  3. Takis. Manufacturers website. 
  4. Zahid N, Khadka N, Ganguly M, Varimezova T, Turton B, Spero L, et al. Associations between Child Snack and Beverage Consumption, Severe Dental Caries, and Malnutrition in Nepal. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 7911. 
  5. Celebi Sozener, Zeynep, et al. Epithelial barrier hypothesis: effect of the external exposome on the microbiome and epithelial barriers in allergic disease. Allergy, 2022, 77, 1418-1449. 
  6. Sinner, A. A student’s guide to healthy study snacks. University of Wollongong.
  7. Singh, N. 8 super study snacks. London School of Economics and Political Science.
  8. Morris AL, Mohiuddin SS. Biochemistry, Nutrients. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023. 

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