Our grocery stores, with highly effective marketing strategies of products being sold, are tempting us to buy foods which are laden with ingredients that are harmful to our body.  Most of these ingredients are really not necessary since basic food can exist without them.  These food additives are often used to improve the commercialism of the foods.  To prevent oneself from harming his body, it is best to avoid foods loaded with these substances or, if it cannot be avoided, always check the labels to determine how much of these additives are contained in the foods that we buy at the grocery stores.

Reminder: always check the label for these top 10 food additives to shun:

1. Artificial Food Dyes

   Food dyes, or food colorings, are used as additives to change the color of the food making it more attractive and appetizing.  Food dyes are synthetic chemicals which has no function at all in terms of improving the nutritional quality or even the safety of the food.  Instead, according to several studies made, it poses a risk of developing cancers, allergies and hyperactivity in children.

   The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act have delisted several artificial colors as it has shown to cause health hazards.  For example, amaranth (FD&C Red No. 2) can cause angioedema, pruritus and bronchoconstriction especially when combined with other colors.  Citrus red No. 2, which was used to dye tropical oranges has shown to cause cancer in animals and are still under study to check its effects on the human body.

   To date, there are only less than ten colors that are deemed certifiably safe, but there is a growing use of natural food dyes added in foods in the market today.

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

   Because the corn industry in the US receives more subsidy than the pure cane sugar industry, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) was born. There are two types of HFCS. The first one is HFCS-55, made up of 55% fructose and 45% glucose, which is used in soft drinks. It also has the same fructose-glucose proportion with table sugar (sucrose). The second one is HFCS-42, with 42% fructose and 58% glucose, used mainly in the syrup of canned fruits, ice cream and baked goods. In the UK, HFCS is called glucose-fructose syrup.

   HFCS is a sweetener added to foods and beverages to make it more palatable, and the sweetener that is used to replace table sugar (sucrose).  HFCS is from cornstarch that underwent enzymatic processes to convert its components from polysaccharide to monosaccharide. The monosaccharide form is glucose, which is essentially not sweet. To make it highly-sweetened, pure glucose is distilled into 90% fructose, which is then blended back to a concentration of 55-45 ratio to be used in soft drinks and other baked goods.

   Since HFCS was introduced in 1980, the number of obese people coming from North America has dramatically increased.  This is explained by how HFCS consumption affects the human body.  Once a person ingests HFCS, it goes directly to the liver which converts this liquid sugar into fat. Normally, if a person takes in carbohydrates, this fat-conversion process induces insulin production from the pancreas which in turn sends a brain signal that quenches hunger. The problem with HFCS is, it does not stimulate the production of insulin and is not able to send a ‘feeling of fullness’ signal to the brain.  So the more that we consume HFCS, the more it is stored as fat but we never feel full thus, obesity results.

3. Trans-fat

   Trans-fatty acids are also unsaturated fats.  When liquid oil, palm and coconut oils, are bombarded with hydrogen, it becomes solid at room temperature. This translates to having longer shelf-life, lower refrigeration requirements, and a desirable quality for foods that need to be preserved for a longer period of time.  Natural trans-fat is found in meat, milk, butter and cheese. Artificial trans-fat can be found in fried foods, baked goods, microwave popcorns, packaged snack foods and stick margarines. Using artificial trans-fat will preserve the food as it is stored in the grocery shelves.

   According to hundreds of studies made, there is high evidence showing trans-fat can cause an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.  Increase in LDL will result to clogged arteries thereby increasing blood pressure and causing heart attacks or strokes. Even if you eat popcorns that are high in fiber, eating them in large amounts will increase trans-fatty acids in the body. The American Heart Association recommends limiting food intake with trans-fat, naturally or artificially occurring, for up to 2 grams per day only.

4. Sodium Sulfite

   Sodium sulfite is used as a preservative, preventing dried fruit from discoloration.  It is also being used in preserving meats.  Although there is little evidence that sulfites can cause asthma or allergies to non-asthmatics and non-allergics, there are existing statistics that shows that some asthmatics have increased in symptoms whenever they eat foods laden with sodium sulfite.

   This white crystalline powder, which is readily soluble in water but decomposes during heating, should be taken into consideration by people who are diagnosed asthmatics or by people who gets easily allergic to something.

5. Sodium Nitrate

   Sodium nitrate is salt that is highly soluble in water.  It is used in many ways particularly as a food preservative. Its commercial usage is to prevent the proliferation of bacteria in meat that causes botulism.  Cured meats such as ham, hotdogs and bacon are filled with sodium nitrate to increase its shelf life.  According to research, sodium nitrate forms nitrosamines, which is considered to be a human carcinogen.  The nitrosamines in cured meat are linked to an increase in gastric cancers and esophageal cancers. The carcinogenic, or cancer-producing, effect of foods with sodium nitrate may have been formed during curing or during the digestion of meat in the human body.

6. BHA and BHT

   Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) are antioxidants that are found in chewing gum, cereals, and potato chips among others. It delays rancidity of fats and oil in food.  However, studies have shown that it causes cancer in rats and mice when given a diet with this additive.  Although still controversial, it is advised to eat foods without BHA and BHT as ingredients since some studies have shown it can be carcinogenic to human intestines.

7. Sulfur Dioxide

   Sulfur dioxide prevents fruits from rotting. It also maintains the luscious appearance of foods sold in the market. It has antimicrobial properties, so dried fruits are laden with them.  In wines, it is used to stop further fermentation.  Looking at the bottle of wine, the empty space at the head of the wine is actually sulfur dioxide.

   Sulfur dioxide is known to cause asthmatic attacks to persons diagnosed with asthma.  Although symptomatic attacks are not common, it is best for people with asthma to read labels and to prevent them from inhaling the substances, especially when opening a bottle of wine.

8. Potassium Bromate

   Potassium bromate is a flour improver.  It is used mostly in breads and rolls, and anything that uses white flour as ingredient.  Its basic purpose as an additive is to increase the volume of the bread as well as create fine crumbs, instead of crust.  Bromate should have evaporated once the bread is baked, but sometimes, residues are left.  The residue has been shown to have harmful effects in the body.  Research has shown that bromate causes cancer in animals.  In humans, some evidence has shown that potassium bromate causes renal and thyroid tumors.  Residuals of bromate are seen to cause renal toxicity.

9. Carrageenan

   Carrageenan is extracted from red seaweeds. It’s a food additive and used mostly by vegetarians as a replacement for gelatin.  Small amounts of carrageenan are safe, but large amounts have shown to be harmful to the body since it causes inflammation in the epithelial cells of the human intestines.  This food additive is implicated in diseases such as inflammatory bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease.  Studies made on rats and mice show that degraded carrageenan causes gastrointestinal problems like ulcerations and cancer.

   Carrageenan is used in ice creams, condensed milk, and sauces to increase viscosity. It is used in beers as a clarifier; in processed meat to improve sliceability and as a substitute for fat; in diet sodas to suspend the flavors in the mouth; in toothpaste as a stabilizer; and in soy milk to copy the consistency of whole milk.

10. Monosodium Glutamate

    Monosodium glutamate, sodium glutamate, or MSG is a sodium salt of glutamic acid, a non-essential amino acid that occurs naturally.  Based from the seaweed that is used as a flavor enhancer in Japan, MSG became a commercially-prepared food enhancer.  The process of producing this food enhancer starts with bacteria converting glutamate from sugar products into glutamic acid.  The acid is allowed to evaporate and the remaining white crystal substances are sold as MSG.  MSG by itself is tasteless. But when it is combined with vegetable and meat products during the cooking process, the taste is enhanced.

    MSG is generally not hazardous. The danger started when this is used in large amounts.  When Chinese restaurants started to use MSG in their foods in abundance, MSG Symptom Complex was born.  People who ate large amounts of MSG loaded foods have complaints ranging from temporary annoyances such as headache and discomfort around the face, to long term diseases to death.  Although these responses is not reproducible in other people, food products nowadays are labeled with “no MSG” to diminish the tendencies of experiencing symptoms related to the effects of MSG in the body.  MSG is found in prepared stocks, condiments, canned goods, seasoning mixtures and snack-foods such as flavored potato chips.

Sources
wisegeek.com
sparkpeople.com
hc-sc.gc.ca
webmd.com
articles.cnn.com
feingold.org
foodsafetynews.com
meatsafety.org
eatwell.gov.uk
stopkillingmykids.com
3fatchicks.com
cspinet.org
en.wikipedia.org