More Food for thought…part 3
What?s in your food? – A primer on artificial food additives.
In this series, we?ve been exploring the issue of the health effects of artificial food additives from a study on hyperactivity to food coloring.
In this part, we look at preservatives.
According to the FDA:
?In its broadest sense, a food additive is any substance added to food ? directly or indirectly, in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food. This definition includes any substance used in the production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food.?
In other words, there are thousands of direct and indirect food additives in the foods that we consume, many of which are used as preservatives to maintain freshness and retard spoiling.
Some of the additives lurking in your foods that are considered harmful include:
- Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) ? considered an ?unclassifiable carcinogen? by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Acesulfame-K ? an artificial sweetener that disrupts thyroid function and is often used in conjunction with aspartame<
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) ? An allergen and suspected endocrine disruptor (may interfere with, mimic or block hormones)
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) ? a preservative, also an allergen and suspected endocrine disruptor
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) ? A University of Pennsylvania study showed that MSG ?interferes with the production of a number of liver enzymes, which are vital to the body’s ability to metabolize drugs and other potentially toxic substances. Neonatal exposure to MSG has a different effect on growth hormone production. [MSG] causes a permanent reduction in the secretion of growth hormone, which leads to a reduced production of the drug-metabolizing enzymes. This hampers the metabolization of drugs and toxic substance. The reduced quantity of growth hormone leads to stunted growth and irreversible obesity.?
- Sodium Nitrate/Nitrate ? a preservative, considered an ?unclassifiable carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. While Nitrates are naturally occurring, and do not present major issues for most, health consequences for infants and babies in utero are great.
- Sodium Benzoate ? studied in addition to the laundry list of food colorings that presented adverse behavioral effects in toddlers and pre-teens, it can create benzene when combined with vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Benzene, is a known carcinogen and has the ability to affect mitochondria in cells and cause cell death.
- Sulfites (including Sulfur Dioxide, Sodium Sulfite, Sodium And Potassium Bisulfite, Sodium and Potassium Metabisulfite) This group, and all of its derivatives falls under a chemical is considered to be ?unclassifiable carcinogens? by the WHO and the EPA.
All of these sweeteners and preservatives range from being as mild as creating allergic reactions in some consumers to having potential grave health effects.
While the FDA may counter that they are ?safe? in the small doses in each batch of food item, when one takes into account how many foods you and your family are ingesting every day that contain them, the issue of ?safety? seems compromised.
Even when you think that you are picking safe and healthy alternatives, you may be consuming toxins unwittingly.
In part four, we?ll examine your produce.
Learn more:
Comprehensive list of food and environmental chemicals and warning levels for each
FDA on the safety of food additives.
FDA?s ?What is a Food Additive??
?Limiting your child?s intake of food additives?
Comprehensive list of food additives from the GSFA Codex
Parenting Starts Before Pregnancy
