Super Simple – Avoid 6 Food Additives
Food labels and additives
in the United States are complicated. And, depending on who you consult, the biggest offender list can vary. But, here is the bottom line. It would be tough to avoid everything and eat super clean. Honestly, we need to accept that there is no perfect. There’s improvement and what works for you. So, today, I am going to focus on six additives that continue to be common US food staples, but have been illegal in Europe because of obvious negative health effects. Starting today, consider avoiding these dirty half dozen food additives:
- Synthetic Growth Hormones: Its found in beef products usually. You may see it called rBGH and rBST. They are commonly administered with antibiotics, adding to the antibiotic resistance problem. These hormones create health issues in dairy cows and have been linked to human birth defects. Producers are not required to identify these hormones so look for products that advertise as organic or rBGH/rBST free.
- Artificial Dyes: You’ve seen names such as Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, which can be found in a wide range of foods, from candy to salmon. These dyes are linked to allergies, hyperactivity, and cancer risks.
- Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO): You’ll find this in our soft drinks. BVO keeps the citrus from separating. BVO has been linked to memory loss and nerve damage in large quantities. Here are two products that contain BVO: Mountain Dew and flame retardant.
- Azodicarbonamide (ADA): This additive is a whitening agent and dough conditioner that helps keep foods light and strong. The World Health Organization(WHO) lists ADA as a potential carcinogen. ADA in Subway’s bread created a media frenzy a couple of years ago. Here are two products that contain ADA: numerous varieties of bread products and yoga mats.
- Arsenic: It’s really everywhere in our food. Naturally found in soil and water, then absorbed by plants, arsenic has been linked to cancer and heart disease. Arsenic is a WHO top ten most dangerous chemical in food. The biggest concern is that arsenic is not banned in US animal feed. So, that means the biggest contaminating offender outside of water is….chickens.
- Olestra: Yes, this additive is still around. Its known to cause diarrhea, gastrointestinal disease in children, and increased appetite. Its still found as a low fat additive in chips, fries, low fat yogurt, etc.
To complicate matters more, food pricing strategies also create a significant financial obstacle to eating even a partially clean life style. And, reading labels can be intimidating. This is an investment in your long term health. Consider starting with one ingredient. Stop consuming soda. It’s not healthy for so many reasons and an unneeded expense is eliminated. You can always drink water. One step at a time. We owe this to our bodies.
