Unless you just eat food that comes straight out of a pesticide-free garden, there is a good chance you will face food ingredients. Food ingredients add flavor, color and life span to food, however they may likewise have negative impacts on your body. Take time to acquaint yourself with common food ingredients, so you will understand what to try to find, and avoid, when shopping.
Food additives and preservatives are understood to cause health threats such as lymphoma, seizures, diabetes, migraines and multiple sclerosis. Parkinson’s, mental confusion, Alzheimer’s, nausea and fibromyalgia are other known threats of food ingredients and preservatives. The list of food additive dangers goes on to include headaches, dizziness, chronic tiredness, anxiety attacks and psychological conditions.
Dangerous Food Additives and Preservatives
Е621
Mono-Sodium Glutamate (MSG, Е621) is a flavor-enhancer and preservative that is added to lots of packaged and canned foods. In reality, it is found in many packaged foods, from potato chips to soups to canned meats, but it is not constantly noted as MSG. It can likewise be disguised on the label as “natural flavoring” or “glutamic acid.”
Inning accordance with a report on MSG by the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine, MSG promotes the growth, and spread, of cancer cells within the body, and can also be connected to “unexpected heart death.” In a study in the February-March, 2008 concern of the “Journal of Autoimmunity,” scientists specify that MSG is related to obesity and inflammation within the body, particularly the liver. The scientists likewise require it to be re-evaluated as a food additive, and recommended eliminating it from the food chain.
Е950
Acesulfame-K (Е950) is a sweetening agent that was at one time just allowed in sugar-free products. Inning accordance with Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, it is now used in soft drinks and other products, along with glucose. Research studies about the effects of acesulfame-K are combined.
A July 2008 research study in “Preventive Medicine” states that the use of artificial sweeteners over a 10 year period encouraged the development of urinary tract tumors, while a report from the 2005 “National Toxicology Program” states particularly that acesulfame-K revealed no evidence of cancer activity in rats. The CSPI states that it can be possibly unsafe, and is an additive that should be avoided.
E320
Butylated Hydroxyanisole or BHA (E320) is a preservative that slows the rate at which fats end up being rancid. It is frequently discovered in cereal, chips and grease products. When BHA was tested in animals, it was found to cause cancer in the “forestomach.” Those who argue the safety of BHA state that people have no forestomach, therefore it must not be considered risky.
CSPI mentions that if a substance has been discovered to cause cancer in three different species, in this case rats, hamsters and mice, then the United States Department of Health and Human Services considers it to be a carcinogen. The Food and Drug Administration still allows the use of BHA as an additive, as of 2009.
E951
Aspartame (E951) is a well-known artificial sweetener, and it is discovered in numerous beverages, soft drinks, frozen, sugar-free desserts, gum and as specific packets. The June, 2009 issue of the “Clinical Journal of Pain” lists aspartame as a food trigger for migraine headaches, keeping in mind that lots of people are delicate to it. The CSPI reports that aspartame can cause neurological problems, such as hallucinations, and that intake of the artificial sweetener, over extended time periods, increases cancer risks.
E952
Cyclamate (E952) is another artificial sweetener, which the United States prohibited due to its cancer-causing capacity. It is thought that cyclamate may in fact increase the cancer-causing activity of other substances, instead of triggering cancer itself. Inning accordance with a report on cyclamate from Elmhurst College in Illinois, it is still authorized for use in more than 55 countries, so you might face cyclamate in foods while traveling.
Olestra
Olestra is a fat substitute that has no calories and can not be soaked up by the digestive system, so it merely travels through it. It is frequently used in potato chips and in place of other fats. While it may seem like a wonder additive, olestra frequently has an unfavorable affect on the digestive system. Aside from digestive troubles, the CSPI reports that olestra can interfere with the body’s absorption of crucial substances from plants such as lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene, all which help protect the body from cancer and heart disease.
Trans Fat
The trans fats in foods are partially hydrogenated grease and hydrogenated grease. Found often in margarine, donuts, frosting, microwave popcorn and numerous fried foods. The August 15, 2009 concern of “American Family Physician” states that trans fats must be avoided, as they are understood to play a part in heart disease.
E310
Propyl Gallate (E310) is a preservative discovered in oils, soup bases, gum and meat products. It works much like BHA, noted above, and the two preservatives are frequently used together. Simply as with BHA, the CSPI mentions that studies on the dangers of propyl gallate are blended, however there is a possibility that it can cause cancer, and should for that reason be prevented.
E924
Potassium Bromate (E924) is a food additive that enhances the action of flour. Its use has actually been banned in many nations, however not in the United States. A report in the July, 1990 concern of “Environmental Health Perspectives” mentions that potassium bromate is found to promote the beginning of tumors in the kidney and thyroid.
E954
Saccharin (E954) is another sweetening agent, used as specific packages or in soft drinks. The CSPI mentions that, like other sweetening agents, it has actually been found to cause cancer in the urinary tract and bladder in rodents. Saccharin has also been discovered to cause cancer of the ovaries, as well as other organs, and increases the cancer-causing results of other substances.
E249, Е250, Е251, Е252
Salt nitrite and nitrate (E249, Е250, Е251, Е252) are preservatives that improve the color and flavor of processed meats. The CSPI reports that while there are no conclusive studies showing that nitrates and nitrites cause cancer, adding nitrites to food as a preservative can actually encourage the development of chemicals that cause cancer within that food, and they note fried steak as a chief example. Salt nitrite and salt nitrate ought to be avoided, till future studies can show their safety.
Food Coloring
(Е101, Е102, Е103, Е104, Е105, Е106, Е107, Е110, Е111, Е120, Е121, Е122, Е123, Е124, Е125, Е126, Е127, Е128, Е129, from Е130 to Е182)
Food colorings, such as Blue # 1, Blue # 2, Yellow # 6 and Red # 3, are used in many food, such as sodas, baked items and candy. The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that all 4 of the food colorings have been found to include cancer-causing properties.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Food Additives?
Sweetening agents, such as Acesulfame-K (Е950) and Aspartame (E951), are the most unsafe food ingredients. Discovered in sugar-free or diet foods and drinks such as diet sodas, breath mints, table sweeteners, baked items and sugar-free gum, sweetening agents are typical. Aspartame and Acesulfame-K are both believed to be carcinogenic.
Salt Sulfite (Е221, Е225, Е225) is the most harmful food preservative. Typically used to make highly processed foods such as dried fruits, Sodium Sulfite causes allergic reactions in one in 100 people. These reactions differ from headaches and skin rashes to heart attack and closed air passages.
Salt Nitrate (Е251, Е252) is a preservative and coloring additive that is used most frequently in lunch meats and smoked fish. This dangerous chemical makes processed meats turn an appealing, brilliant red color. Sodium Nitrate is an extremely carcinogenic additive, and causes serious damage to significant organs such as the pancreas and liver.
Food additives play an essential role in the enjoyment of food and in food safety. For instance, breakfast cereals include additives that increase their nutritional worth. Additives contributed to meats help retard putridity, therefore securing customers against illness due to bacteria and other pathogens.
In addition, ingredients boost the taste of prepared foods by imparting saltiness or sweet taste. Thickeners, stabilizers, emusifiers and other additives give ready foods a pleasing texture and consistency.
Among those who do have sensitivities, side effects might include indigestion; insomnia and agitation; breathing problems such as asthma; and hives, itching and other skin problems.
In the U.S., food additives are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA approves ingredients used in the country’s food supply after examining them for safety. Safety decisions are based on the ingredients’ structure, the amount most likely to be consumed, and the ingredients’ possible results on long-term health.
Good luck! Have a nice weekend.
