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Be gone, wicked condiment!
I could go on a rant here about how gross mayonnaise is, or how it’s the devil’s condiment. I could wave anti-mayonnaise flags and make faces and generally shout about my loathing of the vile, white substance. But hey, that’s subjective, right? I mean, you may actually like mayonnaise. I won’t hold it against you. We can’t be friends, but I won’t hold it against you.
However, I will tell you about the actual health reasons to cut mayonnaise from your diet. At the very least cut back, cut down….really though, why not just cut it out of your diet. Completely.
According to livestrong.com, here are four reasons why mayonnaise is NOT good for you:
1. Calories
A single tablespoon of mayonnaise equals about 90 calories. That’s almost 5% of your daily caloric intake in one tablespoon. One tablespoon is not a lot. Consider the recipe for Hellmann’s “Original Potato Salad.” It calls for a cup of mayonnaise. I’ll do the math for you – one cup equals sixteen tablespoons…or 1,440 calories. Yes, it serves eight, but guess what? That’s still 180 calories of mayonnaise alone per serving. I would be willing to bet that the average sandwich with mayonnaise has at least two tablespoons spread on it. So, that’s 180 calories right there. Easy to overlook, quick to add up. Before you know it, you are shooting over your daily caloric mark. This can, of course, lead to weight gain and obesity.
2. Fat
Back to the tablespoons. One tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 10 grams of total fat (15.4% of your daily recommend intake) and 15 grams of saturated fat (7.5% of your daily recommended intake). So, remember that sandwich, or that helping of potato salad? You just ingested almost 31% of your total fat intake for the day and 15% of your saturated fat intake. Most people consume far more fat than is healthy (especially saturated fat) and are not active enough to counter it. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “eating too much saturated fat can drastically increase your risk of developing harmful health conditions, such as heart disease.”
3. Cholesterol
One tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 5mg of cholesterol. While that is only 1.7% of your recommended daily cholesterol intake, excess cholesterol can begin to build up in your arterial walls, leading to heart disease, stroke, and similar health problems.
4. Sodium
That tablespoon of mayonnaise we’ve been talking about contains 90 milligrams of sodium (3.8% of your daily recommended intake). According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, your body does need some sodium to keep your nervous system and muscles functioning. However, most people have too much sodium in their diets which can lead to high blood pressure and other complications.
These are four really good reasons for cutting mayonnaise out of your diet. But if you just can’t stomach the fact of removing it completely, or going cold turkey is not for you, consider at least switching to a reduced-fat variety and limiting your intake as much as possible. Your body will thank you for it.
Joe McGee/Pazoo
