Food Additives to Avoid

There has been a drastic increase in how the US has allowed for food additives. This all started since 1950s and since then, food varieties has gradually increased from 800 and is presently at about 10, 000. Other than ingredients like table salt and vinegar, it has extended to countless concoctions and this is really putting the health of the Americans in great risk.

Research carried out by the national Food Institute has revealed that there is a risk posed on the human health when these chemicals are consumed separately, and much more when they are consumed together (that is, several additives combined together).

According to the findings of the research carried out, it was concluded that when these additives and chemicals are combined, they are capable of amplifying the adverse effect of each of them.

Avoiding foods that are processed is the basic way out of this situation. Even if you have to go for processed foods, it is advisable that you read its labels and avoid those additives that pose great risk to the human health. Some of these substances to avoid include, but not limited to:

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

The adverse effect posed by the HFCS is often equated with that of sugar. This is not so, because unlike sugar, biologically referred to as sucrose which consists of a glycosidic bond linking both fructose and fructose. Sucrose is more easily metabolized by the body when compared to fructose, which is primarily left to the liver to metabolize. This clearly means that because only the liver metabolizes the fructose, when these compounds are consumed in too much amounts, the result will damage your liver.

Also, like the case of alcohol, which gets stored in our fat cells, so does fructose; when metabolized, it produces fat, and this can lead to unlikely conditions like obesity, mitochondrial malfunction and other related diseases.

Bottom-line is, the quantity of fructose found in your system is traceable to the foods you consume; and when it is in high amount, it becomes bad to the health.

A case study was carried with female mice, and their diet was made to contain 25 percent of calories from corn syrup. It was noticed that they had twice the death rate than those fed a diet containing the same 25 percent of calories but this time from table sugar.

It is very advisable that your total fructose consumption be kept very low, at best b grams per day. This is however difficult to achieve when you are always on processed foods.

Also, since fruits contain fructose, it is wise to limit intake to at most 15 grams. Also containing fructose are many beverages we drink.

Artificial Sweeteners

One thing that has been established is that intake of artificial sweeteners causes more weight gain than sugar does. One of these artificial sweeteners is called Aspartame; and it has been discovered that it has a very profound adverse effect on your health. Other examples of artificial sweeteners are sucralose, acesulfame potassium and saccharin. Apart from the very common fact that these artificial sweeteners your likelihood of gaining weight, it is also harmful to the body.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

This is known as a flavor enhancer and is usually found in lots of processed foods. These are most often associated with Chinese food products and range from salad dressing and frozen dinners to meats and snack chips.

The MSG belongs to the class of toxins referred to as the excitotoxins; and these are known to over excite your cells and cause a dysfunction to the brain. This goes on to the point of death or extreme damage and lead to disease and disabilities.

The body does not realize the effect this compound does until it becomes too late. This is because MSG is 78 percent part of a substance called glutamic acid; and this glutamic acid functions as a neurotransmitter that is used by organs of the body for initiating certain processes.

Synthetic Trans Fats

This compound is usually associated with inflammations which eventually lead to real serious diseases. These are the kind of fats you get to find in margarines, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and vegetable shortening. The severity of their effects was what led the announcement made by the FDA in 2005, banning the use of hydrogenated oils, except when it is considered really necessary. Therefore food companies were given till 2018 to reformulate their products.

Artificial Colors

Artificial colors in foods have been linked to cases of cancer, hyperactivity and certain allergies. And when it comes to children, it affects their attention. This is why the British government, after considering the health effect of these substances ensures that all manufacturers get rid of, as much as possible, artificial colors from foods produced.

Sodium Sulphite

This is one widely used food preservative. Although this substance does not affect the human health compared to the above mention, nevertheless with people that are sensitive to it, it predisposes them to headaches, rashes and problems having to do with their breathing. This has sometimes led to cases of death.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated Hydroxytoluene (bHT)

This is another preservative that has known to affect the brain’s neurological system and alter behavior. It has also been stated that this compound is a powerful trigger of hyperreactivity and allergic reactions. As the adverse effect of this substance is been realized, various governments are gradually banning the use of it in food manufacturing.

Sulphur Dioxide

Simply said, additives from sulphur are very toxic and lead to adverse reactions like low blood pressure, bronchial problems and anaphylactic shock. This has made the US government to prohibit including it in raw fruits and vegetables.

Potassium Bromate

This is a substance contained in our bread, hamburger or anything made from flours. It is often said by baking companies that this chemical is what is responsible for the elastic property of our bread. However, recent findings have shown us that this chemical is responsible for several cases of ill health conditions like nervous system damage, thyroid problems, kidney problems, cancer and gastrointestinal problems. For this reason, it has been banned from use in food by several governments like Canada, EU and China.

Sodium Nitrate

This is one chemical that is used as not just a preservative, but also a coloring agent and in flavoring meats, bacon, hot dogs and so on, as harmless as it may seem, does a great deal of havoc on the human system, especially the digestive system.

My final words are that you take this information seriously. Ensure that before your make purchase of any product, read its labels. Avoid any food that is not organic and wholesome. Go for natural foods: those that do not contain preservatives, chemicals, artificial colors and flavors. This way, your health is guaranteed to be in its perfect state.