Most Dangerous Food Additives
Food additive
Food additive is a substance added to foods to improve its certain characteristics such as color, aroma, consistency, taste, packaging and shell life. Additives are not generally considered nutritional even if they have some nutritional value. Here are some of the most dangerous food additives including aspartame, hydrogenated vegetable oil, artificial coloring, propyl gallate, MSG, sodium nitrite, BHA and BHT, olestra and saccharin.
Dangerous food additives:
1. Propyl gallate: Propyl gallate is an antioxidant preservative and is found in meat products, soup, chewing gum, and vegetable oil. It is often used along with BHA and BHT. Propyl gallate might cause cancer. Read the labels and avoid foods containing propyl gallate.
2. Aspartame: Aspartame is the second widely used artificial sweetener in the world. It is found in beverages, low calorie foods and sugar free foods. Aspartame is known as nutrasweet, equal, spoonful, and equal measure and approved first by the FDA in 1974. Aspartame is found in many food products including carbonated soft drinks, powdered drinks, dessert mixes, chewing gum, confections, puddings, frozen desserts, yogurt and tabletop sweeteners, some vitamins and sugar free cough drops. In the 1970's, aspartame causes brain tumors in rats. Side effects of aspartame include headaches, visual hallucinations, mood changes, and isolated dizziness.
3. Hydrogenated vegetable oil: Hydrogenated vegetable oil is also known vegetable shortening. It is found in cakes, biscuits, margarine, fast foods fried foods, crackers, coookies, baked goods, and breads. Avoid foods containing vegetable shortening.
4. Artificial coloring: Artificial coloring is another food additive found in baked goods, candies, salmon farms, some vitamins and beverages. Coloring ingredients contains plenty of chemicals and most of them are derived from highly toxic sources. It can cause many kinds of diseases, and disorders. They are also used in many soaps, lotions and shampoos. Read the food labels and avoid artificial food colors including blue 1, blue 2, red 40, red 3, wellow 5, yellow 6 and green 3.
5. BHA and BHT: Butylated hydroxyanisole is used to prevent fats from going bad. It is found in cereals, chewing gum, dehydrated potatoes, beer, butter, meats, vegetable oil and potato chips. Some studies have shown that BHA and BHT can cause cancer in rats.
6. Monosodium glutamate (MSG): MSG is a food additive and used as a flavor enhancer in many packaged foods, including soups, salad dressings, chicken, ranch dressing, sausage items, caesar salad, soups, bouillon, stock, seasoning, spices, natural beef, malt flavorings, hot dogs, canned tuna, boar's head and potato chips. Monosodium glutamate is and excitotoxin and can cause seizures, headaches, hypoglycemia, brain cell death, allergies, strokes, and hypoglycemia. Read the labels and avoid foods containing monosodium glutamate.
7. Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate: Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate is used to preserve meat and to keep the meat bright red in color. It is also used in botulism, a deadly disease transmitted through food. It is found in breakfast sausages, hot dogs, bacon, soup products and deli meats. Check the meat products and choose free of nitrite.
8. Olestra: Olestra is a fat substitute found in snack chips, potato chips, cheese puffs, corn chips, crackers, doughnuts, cakes, cookies, ice cream, fried chicken, french fries, onion rings, margarines cheeses, pies, fat free wringles and pastries.
9. Saccharin: Saccharin is an artificial sweetener and is used to sweeten products such as drinks, candies, medicines, diet foods and toothpaste. It is 200 to 700 times sweetener than sugar and absolutely no calories. Studies shown that saccharin can cause bladder cancer in rats.