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Article:

Tempted by the welcoming scent, you succumbed to buying a small serving of McDonald's french fries. You gobbled up the crispy spuds and then wished you had ordered the large. So why exactly are these world famous fries so darn hard to put down? It turns out that their ingredient list holds the answer.

Mickey D's fries are made of more than just Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes—they also pack in vegetable oil (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and salt. And the culprit that's responsible for cultivating your addiction is the far-from-innocent natural beef flavor. McDonald's discloses that this savory addition is mostly made up of hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk.

While wheat and milk aren't bad ingredients (unless you have an intolerance), hydrolyzing them—in a process where heat and chemicals break down the foods and produce MSG, which achieves extra appetizing flavors—poses a threat to your tummy. Besides for weight gain and weird allergy-type reactions, MSG also increases appetite by inhibiting your brain from registering that you're satiated. In fact, one study found that giving laboratory rats MSG increased their food intake by an extra 40 percent! To avoid ballooning your belly, skip these spuds as well as these 17 Most Addictive Foods on the Planet.

My response:

I found this article on the website "Eat This, Not That!" when doing research on if fast food is addictive. This topic interested me because I have always wondered if McDonalds food is addictive, or has addictive chemicals in it. It is clearly widely beloved throughout the world and is getting more popular throughout the years. I thought this article brought up great points as to what chemicals are added to the fries specifically to make them so widely talked about and beloved. I am wondering if this information is correct because there are no direct sources mentioned in the article, but the author seems to be very knowledgable on the topic when talking about the addictive chemicals. Thanks so much!

by Novice (570 points)
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Hi! I really enjoyed reading your article and I appreciate you utilizing multiple sources in order to convey your claim. Unfortunately neither of your sources are government sources or other credible sights. "Eat This not That" is a dot com website that holsters a lot of information outside of you french fry claim. Next time try to source more focused articles!
ago by (100 points)
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The article is well-written and sounds as though it was written by an expert. However, it is concerning that no sources are provided for any of the information within the article.

After Reading (https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/scientific-reason-mcdonalds-fries-good/?srsltid=AfmBOoryWn0HJ0_-olYGPSMr6jAH-T7sao6phAY8GiluVPybm6-TQggH) granted a .com website I saw many similarities. However this website says nothing of MSG.

1 Answer

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ago by Novice (900 points)
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Best answer

This article outlines the simple science behind why McDonald’s fries are so addicting. The answer to the question lies in the ingredients of the fries. The number one thing that makes these fries irresistible is the MSG they contain. MSG is "a flavor enhancer often added to restaurant foods, canned vegetables, soups, deli meats and other foods." It's not dangerous, but definitely something to be aware of when choosing nutritious foods to enjoy. MSG is most commonly found in fast food, soup, chips, seasonings, and condiments. Based on the other articles I dissected while researching this claim, I've learned that this article has enough evidence to back it up as true.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-msg

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/monosodium-glutamate/faq-20058196

True

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