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Dangerous Side Effects of Eating These Salad Dressings

You'll never guess what you're putting into your body
FACT CHECKED BY Kiersten Hickman

You might assume that salads can't do you any harm. After all, how much damage could a mix of vegetables and a bit of salad dressing really do to your eating plan? We're sorry to admit, but these side effects of salad dressings might surprise you. According to the New York Times, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeks to stop regulating what ingredients can go into numerous grocery items, including French dressing. The previous conditions required that French dressing contain at least 35% vegetable oil and an acid, alongside other acceptable ingredients like salt, spices, and tomato paste. If the FDA jettisons these regulations, brands will now have the liberty to start including tons of artificial fillers and additives that can prove extremely detrimental to our collective health.

The effects of the deregulation don't stop at just French dressing. According to the New York Post, the news comes on the heels of the Trump administration loosening the rules on what ingredients can go into cherry pies and are currently looking to deregulate the dairy industry. This relaxing of product laws has sparked fears that other dressings, condiments, and food items face deregulation in the coming days. If companies start changing the dietary properties of dressings, these salad condiments guarantee to go from bad to worse and can do some real damage to your health.

Some salad dressings already do a considerable toll on your body, so just imagine what could happen if they got even worse! Keep an eye out for these five dressings and avoid the dangerous side effects they already present in their regulated form, and for even more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

French Dressing

creamy french dressing in a small bowl
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French dressing leads the charge in salad condiments that cram in a ton of unwanted poor nutrition. According to Huffington Post, French dressings stuff an average of 15 grams of fat into just one serving of the dressing, not to mention a fair amount of salt, making it one of the more unwholesome dressings to top a salad with and increase your chance of contracting gout, hypertension, and more.

For a more wholesome approach to salad, try out the 10 Healthy Salad Dressing Brands to Buy.

Ranch Dressing

ranch dressing
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If you want to find one of the fattiest salad dressings, look no further than ranch. According to the Harvard Medical School, dressings like ranch contain loads of heart-stopping saturated fat and salt, making them a prime contender as one of the worst dressings to put inside your body. If you indulge too much in this dressing, you risk raising your chances of heart disease and blood pressure complications, making it a terrible topping for a healthy salad.

Instead, get that ranch flavor you love with thse Ranch-Flavored Veggie Chips in an Air Fryer.

Thousand Island Dressing

thousand island dressing
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According to NPR, Thousand Island dressing relies on sugary ketchup and mayonnaise as the base ingredients of this condiment. The heavy presence of mayo in the dressing ranks it as one of the most dangerous dressings, and if you love consuming it, you face significantly increasing your weight due to the high-calorie count, as well as increasing the risk of clogged arteries and heart attacks. Do your body a favor and stay away from this condiment at all costs—along with these Popular Condiments That Make You Gain Weight, According to Experts.

Caesar Dressing

caesar dressing
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If you love creamy Caesar salad, we have some bad news for you—many store-bought brands of Caesar dressing contain loads of sodium and fat. According to U.S. News & World Report, these ingredients lead to heavy inflammation and can lead to blood pressure issues down the road. Do your body a favor and skip over this product next time you want to whip up a salad!

Bleu Cheese Dressing

bleu cheese dressing
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If you really crave this fat-based salad dressing, opt for the Mayo Clinic's homemade version instead that allows you to replace buttermilk with Greek yogurt. Otherwise, the heavy amount of fat that makes up the base of the dressing promotes heart disease. For a long and healthy life, avoid the side effects of this dressing next time the craving strikes.

Here's The Most Toxic Salad Dressing on Grocery Shelves.

Erich Barganier
Erich Barganier is a health and food writer. Read more about Erich
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