10 Shocking Ingredients In Your Food What You NEED To Know Before Your Next Trip To The Grocery Store
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| 10 Shocking Ingredients In Your Food |
Food is your primary source of nourishment and health. What you put in your body matters. The quest for healthy eating seems so simple, but the food companies are so deceptive that it's hard to know what's healthy and what's not.
When you walk down the aisle of your local grocery store, you're inundated with thousands of subtle marketing ploys. Food companies want you to buy their products and actively try to mislead you into thinking their food is healthier than it is.
You see products that boldly advertise things like "Organic", "No Trans Fat", "All Natural", "Gluten-Free", "Fat-Free" and so many other seemingly healthy terms. Often, consumers do not realize that they are buying foods that are harmful to their health. You might think, "it's organic, so it must be healthy." Unfortunately, it's not
Food Companies DON'T CARE About You
The sooner you realize this, the better. Food companies are not interested in your health. They are interested in making money. Companies are changing their marketing to meet consumer trends and demands, but they won't necessarily change much in how they process and manufacture food. They will also go out of their way to hide unhealthy ingredients from you.
The worst part is that the FDA allows it. They also allow many food additives known to create major health issues. Want to know something else crazy? The FDA also does not require chemical contaminants (like rocket fuel) to be listed.
WHAT???
There are so many dangerous food additives whose names mislead the uninformed consumer. Knowing this, the grocery store suddenly becomes a land mine rather than a source of food and health. You don't know what you put into your body or feed your family. No wonder there are so many major health issues in this country.
Even if you're shopping in the organic/natural/whole food section of your local grocery store, you still need to be careful. Sure, there are plenty of better choices, but these sections also contain plenty of highly processed foods that aren't as healthy as you might think. You need to be very careful about ALL packaged foods you buy. Read your labels carefully.
Frustrated Mother Of 2 "Quits" Processed Food And Loses Over 70 Pounds
Here are 10 dangerous ingredients to look out for:
1. Sodium Nitrate:
Sodium nitrate is an additive used as a preservative. It is found in deli meats, hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats. Studies have linked sodium nitrate to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, neurological disorders and gastrointestinal problems. If you eat meat, stick to lean fresh meats and limit or avoid meats that contain sodium nitrate.
2. Azodicarbonamide:
Azodicarbonamide is an industrial chemical used to make rubber and synthetic leather. It makes things frothy, so somewhere along the way, someone thought it was a good idea to add it to bread to make it spongy! It is also used to whiten cereal flour. While the FDA says there isn't enough research to determine the harm caused by exposure to this chemical in food, it has been banned in Europe and Australia. The World Health Organization and the CDC list respiratory problems and warnings of skin and eye irritation and say not to ingest. Other sources associate ingesting this chemical with damaging hormonal and immune functions.
3. High fructose corn syrup:
Despite the corn industries' aggressive campaign to convince us otherwise, high fructose corn syrup is NOT a natural food - it is highly processed. It's also not the same natural sugar, and it's not processed by the body in the same way. Coupled with the large amounts of high fructose corn syrup hidden in our foods, it creates many health risks. High fructose corn syrup is linked to obesity, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disease and heart disease. Food manufacturers know that consumers are looking for it on ingredient labels, so many now list it as fructose or fructose syrup. It's the same dangerous ingredient, same high amounts, just a new misleading name.
4. BHT (butyl hydroxytoluene)
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a synthetic compound used as a preservative in foods and cosmetics. It slows down the natural oxidation process, preventing food and cosmetics from deteriorating. Interestingly, if you read the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this chemical, it clearly identifies it as a toxic substance. But it's in our food! Studies have linked BHT to cancer in animals. "They," say low doses are fine, high doses aren't, but BHT is in a ton of foodstuff, so how do you tell high vs low doses? And is there a cumulative effect?
5. Enriched flour:
Essentially, enriched flour is flour that has been chemically and mechanically stripped of all fiber and nutrients, and then a small fraction of those nutrients have been artificially replaced. This leaves you with a product with virtually no nutritional value. Due to their highly processed and depleted state, foods made with enriched flour are not treated the same way by your body. They immediately turn into sugar and cause blood sugar and insulin spikes. This leads to many health risks, including an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, damage to blood vessels, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of certain cancers. You may be used to the texture and taste of white bread and flour, but do your health a favor and replace them with real whole grains.
6. Soybean oil:
Soy is generally considered a healthy food and is a popular substitute for animal protein. Unfortunately, soybeans and soybean oil are also linked to many health problems. A major problem is that the bean is usually mass-produced with lots of carcinogenic pesticides and genetically modified. Soy and soybean oil are linked to inflammation, digestive issues, allergies, nutrient and protein malabsorption. The oil is also partially hydrogenated, hence trans fat, which you know poses many health risks. If you choose soy, be sure to find organic, non-GMO soy.
7. MSG
MSG is a flavor enhancer that is added to many foods in the United States. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few decades, you've heard that MSG is bad for your health. It is linked to obesity, headaches, eye damage, nausea and other health problems. There are conflicting studies on the short and long-term effects of GMS, but sensitivities are very common. With all the unknowns and evidence of health risks, you better eliminate them from your diet.
8. Yellow #5 (tartrazine):
Yellow #5 is a food additive included in many foods to give it a yellow coloring. Studies have linked this additive to a number of health considerations. These include allergic reactions, hyperactivity, low sperm count, and cancer risks. Watch out for this and other food coloring additives, as many of them are linked to health issues.
9. Propylene glycol alginate:
Propylene glycol is a commonly used additive in foods, also the main ingredient in antifreeze. Research studies around this food additive have produced inconsistent results related to health risks. Some studies have shown risks associated with neurological problems, kidney and liver disease, and respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Due to conflicting studies, there is no conclusive evidence, but is it really worth the risk while researchers find out?
10. Polysorbate 60:
Polysorbate 60 is commonly used as a thickener in foods and cosmetics. Although there is not much information available on this chemical compound, its ingredients are linked to carcinogens and fertility issues.
The Easiest Way To Avoid These Scary Ingredients:
The scary thing is that the list above contains just a few of the many chemicals and risky compounds found in packaged foods. The only way to be truly healthy is to avoid these harmful additives and know what you're putting into your (and your family's) body.
One of the most effective ways to avoid these foods is to focus on whole foods. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as unprocessed meat and fish if you're an omnivore. Adding green smoothies to your diet is also a great way to start eating lots of healthy, whole fruits and vegetables without worrying about taste. Not only that, but the nutrients in green smoothies can help reverse the damage already done by these hidden chemicals. Smoothies are quick and easy to prepare, inexpensive and portable. They are a great solution for healthy eating in general and on the go.
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