Are Oreos Bad For You? How Many Is Too Many?

are Oreo cookie unhealthy?

Oreo cookies are only as bad as one would expect any processed food item to be. The brand offers gluten-free and dairy-free products for those with allergies. These cookies are not associated with any valid nutritional supply and should be consumed in moderate amounts to avoid health complications. 

Several recent studies have revealed the addictive nature of Oreo cookies (similar to drugs such as morphine and cocaine) that makes moderation a challenging task.

Do Oreos Make You Fat?

The recommended serving of Original Oreo cookies is three per day. This serving does not account for high amounts of sugar, fat, and calories. And that is, only if you find it possible to limit yourself to three cookies.

More often than not, however, it remains almost impossible to limit yourself from having more than three at a time from any packet of Oreo. The cookies are small in size and readily available. If you think about it, consumption of Oreos as a night snack may just easily eat away a large chunk of your recommended sugar, fat, and calorie intake for a day. 

Overconsumption of Oreo cookies is highly likely, which makes the product a significant contributor to your possible weight gain problems.

How Much Sugar Does Oreos Have?

Oreo contains only about seven grams of fat and almost three teaspoons of sugar in a regular serving size of three cookies. These are not numbers of concern. But if taken in large amounts and for a prolonged duration, fat and sugar in Oreo cookies can lead to weight gain, heart diseases, Type 2 diabetes, and several other severe health problems. 

The sugar and fat content also provides the product with its addictive quality, making it challenging for children and adults alike to restrict to the recommended servings a day. 

How Many Calories Do Oreos Have?

Oreo contains about 160 calories in its recommended serving size of three Original cookies. Note that the calorie content varies from product to product; for instance, two cookies from a pack of Double Stuf Oreo add up to 140 calories. 

Oreos Calories Per Cookie 

When it comes to Oreo Original, one cookie contains 52 calories. A Double Stuf Oreo cookie will have 70; a Double Stuff Golden Oreo cookie has 75, and in case you were wondering about Oreo cakesters, one pack of 28g has a calorie content of 120. 

Oreos Calories Per Pack 

A pack of six Original Oreo cookies together adds up to about 270 calories. A 157 grams pack of Oreo Double Stuf with 11 cookies has 770 calories. For Oreo cakesters, a box of fifteen cakes contains 1850 calories. 

Calories in Oreos Without Cream Filling 

An Original Oreo without the cream has 30 calories. In a Double Stuf cookie, the cream makes up 50 calories of the total 70. If you were to eat the cookies without the cream filling, you also skip a high amount of sugar calories.

Is Oreo Bad for Acne?

There have been several instances where individuals have noted breakouts post the consumption of Oreos.

One possible reason for acne after consumption of Oreo could be the presence of transfat from hydrogenated vegetable oil in the cookie that can heavily impact the normal sebum production in the body. This results primarily in whiteheads. Oreos also contain high-fructose corn syrup capable of causing acne. 

Is Oreo Bad for Acid Reflux? 

No study has conclusively linked Oreo cookies to acid reflux. However, several individuals have had to deal with acid reflux after consuming the cookies. 

But here, before blaming the brand, consider that there exists a wide varying range of food items capable of causing acid reflux. This also depends on your health. For instance, if you are fructose intolerant, Oreo cream filling is made of high-fructose corn syrup that can easily trigger and complicate your stomach issues.

Is Oreos Bad for Diabetics?

Oreos are not the most recommended snack if you have diabetes. Cookies are processed food items containing sugar and trans fats that are unsuitable for diabetic individuals. To be on the safer side with the blood-sugar levels, drink a lot of water or club soda in case you could not resist the cookie and happen to munch on a few.

Trans fats have not shown any direct links to blood-sugar levels. But they cause insulin resistance and increase the heart-related risks for diabetics. 

Are Oreo Cookies Gluten-Free?

Oreo has both gluten and gluten-free options of cookies. The brand’s cookies were initially not gluten-free, with the clear mention of wheat in their ingredients. Currently, they have gluten-free versions of Original and Double Stuf that claim to taste like the regular Oreos. 

Are Oreo Cookies Dairy-Free?

The regular pack of Oreo cookies surprisingly turns out to be dairy-free. The cream filling that one expects to be dairy-based gets primarily made of corn syrup and canola oil. Chocolate, the second possible ingredient in Oreo that may be related to dairy, also remains milk-free as it derives from alkali processed cocoa. 

You may have observed several cases of product recalls in the past due to possible cross-contact in the company’s production facilities. Also, note that regular Oreos that claim to be dairy-free and vegan are absent from the ‘accidentally vegan’ list of PETA, but a few other flavors such as ‘ Oreo 100 Cal Thin Crisps’ find a place in the list.

Therefore the best way to go about it is to consult your doctor and check for accurate information on the product before consuming Oreos if you already have dairy-related health problems.

Are Oreo Cookies Nut-Free?

The Original and the Double Stuf Oreos are nut-free. Though they get produced in facilities dedicated to providing cookies free of peanut and tree nut, the possibilities of cross-contamination remains high. Similar to milk, cross-contact may be an issue for people with nut-related allergies.

ALSO READ: Is Wrigley’s chewing gum bad for you?

Do Oreo Cookies Cause Constipation?

Any food item low in fiber and fluids and high in sugar and fat taken in considerable amounts may easily result in constipation.

Eating a lot of Oreo cookies means consuming an immense amount of sugar. High-sugar diets and constipation are not directly related. Oreo cookies may cause constipation if you combine the consumption of high-sugar cookies with eating food with not enough fiber content alongside.

Can Oreo Cookies Cause Diarrhea? 

Oreo may cause diarrhea in several individuals, but one cannot possibly tell that the cookies are prone to causing irregular bowel movements every time you snack a few from the pack.

Here we will look at a few ingredients in Oreo cookies with possible links to diarrhea:

  1. Chocolate: Due to the item’s association with caffeine that often gets related to the stimulation of digestive tracts, any chocolate-flavored product may end up the cause of loose stools. 
  2. Sugar: Consuming a lot of sugar is not healthy in ways that it over triggers the production of water and electrolytes, developing irregular bowel movements. 
  3. High-Fructose Corn Syrup: Fructose malabsorption is a more common condition than you might imagine. It could arise due to a lack of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, already existing issues with the stomach, or excessive ingestion of processed food such as Oreo cookies. Irrespective of whether you have problems digesting fructose, diarrhea could be a side effect if the item gets consumed in amounts more than 40 to 80 grams. 
  4. Palm Oil/ Canola Oil: Palm oil is an essential component of Oreo as it considerably extends the shelf like of the cookies. The heavily refined character of this oil makes the item hard to digest. Unlike palm oil, canola oil is healthier for its high unsaturated fat content but depending on whether the item is compatible with your stomach, it is related to diarrhea. 
  5. Soy Lecithin: Though the item is safe for most individuals, diarrhea may sometimes be a common side effect of its consumption. 
  6. Wheat Flour: For gluten intolerant individuals, consumption of Oreos made of wheat may result in a range of problems such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and smelly stools. 

Do Oreo Cookies Cause Cancer? 

One should perhaps be concerned about a few ‘possibly carcinogenic’ ingredients in Oreo cookies, such as titanium dioxide, 3MCPD, glycidol, and acrylamide.

Titanium dioxide is an agent that helps whiten food items, and here in the case of Oreo, as you must have already guessed, they are one of the components of the cookie’s cream filling. You do not find this item surprisingly listed among the ingredients in Oreo. 

Oreo had also exceeded the limit of acrylamide set by the European Union at 350 grams per kilogram of cookies. The 3MCPD compound identified in Oreo is associated with problems related to the kidneys and male reproductive organs. Comparatively higher amounts of sodium in the regular Oreo cookies also add to the cause of worry. 

Simply put – one should avoid eating a lot of Oreo cookies as it is clearly not healthy for your body. 

References:

  1. https://www.oreo.com/oreo-cookies
  2. https://www.ewg.org/foodscores/products/044000053727-OreoChocolateSandwichCookies/
Anand Srinivasan
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