I've previously wrote about quite a number of harmful food additives which include MSG and aspartame. Now, I give you a list of other food additives to avoid while purchasing any food products.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increases your LDL cholesterol levels and contributes to the development of diabetes. Read my sugar posts.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is used as a flavor enhancer. It is an excitotoxin, a substance that overexcites cells to the point of damage or death. Read my MSG posts.
Trans Fat
Numerous studies show that trans fat increases LDL cholesterol levels and increases your risk of heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. I uploaded a post about trans fat earlier.
Common Food Dyes
Artificial colorings may contribute to behavioral problems in children and lead to a significant reduction in IQ.
Sodium Sulphite
This is a preservative used in processed foods. People who are sulfite sensitive can experience headaches, breathing problems, and rashes. In severe cases, sulfites can actually cause death.
Sodium Nitrate/Sodium Nitrite
This common preservative has been linked to various types of cancer.
BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are preservatives that affect the neurological system of your brain, alter behavior and have the potential to cause cancer.
Sulphur Dioxide
Sulphur additives are toxic and has adverse reactions include bronchial problems, low blood pressure, and anaphylactic shock.
Potassium Bromate
This additive is used to increase volume in some breads. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and even small amounts can create problems for humans.
If you've ever read the ingredients lists on packaged foods, you know that there's a lot more in food these days than in past generations. Virtually every processed food now contains a laundry list of preservatives, colorings, flavorings, emulsifiers and unless you're shopping at a natural specialty store, gone are the days when a loaf of bread contained just a few ingredients.
When you purchase a package of cheese, you expect it to contain milk and salt, bread you'd expect to contain flour and yeast, and when you pick up a can of beans, you may think it only contains beans. In reality, cheese is commonly laced with preservatives and colorings. Bread contains high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and sometimes trans fats. And even canned beans typically contain a slew of additives including corn syrup, coloring and other sweeteners, along with being packaged in a can that probably leaches BPA from its lining. Please read my Bisphenol A post.
When foods are processed not only are valuable nutrients lost and fibers removed, but the texture, natural variation and flavors are lost also. After processing, what's actually left behind is a bland, uninteresting layer that most people would find entirely unappetizing. So at this point, food manufacturers must add back in the nutrients, flavor, color and texture to processed foods in order to make them palatable, and this is why they become loaded with food additives. Most commonly, additives are included to slow spoilage, prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor, prevent cut fruits from turning brown, fortify or enrich the food with synthetic vitamins and minerals and improve taste, texture and appearance of the food.
Well, what is the simplest way to avoid food additives? Simple. Ditch processed foods. Simple aint it? Yes? No? I know it's difficult, but at least give it a try for the sake of your health. Unless you don't bother about your health and eat whatever food you like, then it is a different story altogether. Read the labels folks.
Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame, also known as Nutrasweet and Equal, is a carcinogenic substance and accounts for more reports
of adverse reactions than all other foods and food additives combined. All artificial sweeteners are bad news.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increases your LDL cholesterol levels and contributes to the development of diabetes. Read my sugar posts.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is used as a flavor enhancer. It is an excitotoxin, a substance that overexcites cells to the point of damage or death. Read my MSG posts.
Trans Fat
Numerous studies show that trans fat increases LDL cholesterol levels and increases your risk of heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. I uploaded a post about trans fat earlier.
Common Food Dyes
Artificial colorings may contribute to behavioral problems in children and lead to a significant reduction in IQ.
Sodium Sulphite
This is a preservative used in processed foods. People who are sulfite sensitive can experience headaches, breathing problems, and rashes. In severe cases, sulfites can actually cause death.
Sodium Nitrate/Sodium Nitrite
This common preservative has been linked to various types of cancer.
BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are preservatives that affect the neurological system of your brain, alter behavior and have the potential to cause cancer.
Sulphur Dioxide
Sulphur additives are toxic and has adverse reactions include bronchial problems, low blood pressure, and anaphylactic shock.
Potassium Bromate
This additive is used to increase volume in some breads. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and even small amounts can create problems for humans.
If you've ever read the ingredients lists on packaged foods, you know that there's a lot more in food these days than in past generations. Virtually every processed food now contains a laundry list of preservatives, colorings, flavorings, emulsifiers and unless you're shopping at a natural specialty store, gone are the days when a loaf of bread contained just a few ingredients.
When you purchase a package of cheese, you expect it to contain milk and salt, bread you'd expect to contain flour and yeast, and when you pick up a can of beans, you may think it only contains beans. In reality, cheese is commonly laced with preservatives and colorings. Bread contains high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and sometimes trans fats. And even canned beans typically contain a slew of additives including corn syrup, coloring and other sweeteners, along with being packaged in a can that probably leaches BPA from its lining. Please read my Bisphenol A post.
When foods are processed not only are valuable nutrients lost and fibers removed, but the texture, natural variation and flavors are lost also. After processing, what's actually left behind is a bland, uninteresting layer that most people would find entirely unappetizing. So at this point, food manufacturers must add back in the nutrients, flavor, color and texture to processed foods in order to make them palatable, and this is why they become loaded with food additives. Most commonly, additives are included to slow spoilage, prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor, prevent cut fruits from turning brown, fortify or enrich the food with synthetic vitamins and minerals and improve taste, texture and appearance of the food.
Well, what is the simplest way to avoid food additives? Simple. Ditch processed foods. Simple aint it? Yes? No? I know it's difficult, but at least give it a try for the sake of your health. Unless you don't bother about your health and eat whatever food you like, then it is a different story altogether. Read the labels folks.
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