what goes in doesn’t always come out…

Food additives. An allergy sufferers worst nightmare.

Found in even the most seemingly unprocessed of foods. A bit of bromate there, a bit of gelatin or artificial colour blue 1 there. What harm can it do?

Apparently, quite a bit.

Do we really know exactly what we are putting in our mouths and most importantly, what it is doing to us?

After a stint in hospital recently I’ve taken an even closer look at some of the every day foods I take for granted and the potential impact the additives in these foods can have on your health over the short and long-term.

Sure there are some who say it’s overkill to worry about every morsel we put in our mouths and I more than anyone, hold the banner card for enjoying food. Food, glorious food, is practically my theme song.

But there is a difference between enjoyment and ignorance.

There really are some additives which are better off left on the plate, no matter how good the cake looks.

So I thought I’d share just a few things I’ve discovered along the way with the help of resources such as  Gaiam Life ,  Livestrong, food matters and the australian website additive alert.

HFCS: High Fructose Corn Syrup. Yes sugar. It’s getting quite a bad rap of late. But the truth is, it isn’t undeserved. HFCS has never been very good for you. Nutritionally it does very little if any good and at worst is a big contributor to the increasing obesity and type II diabetes epidemic.

Artificial Sweeteners: So you’ve decided to go sugar-free after all the ‘sweet poison’ discussion around the work water cooler. Well done, but before you reach for a diet coke and a sugar-free chocolate bar for afternoon tea have a think about what makes these things sweet. Those artificial sweeteners (Acesulfame-K, Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose) with healthy sounding names like NutraSweet or Equal are also highly processed. While testing is still being done on many of these, look out for ones such as Acesulfame potassium which is a non-caloric sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Tests done in the 1970s indicated that acesulfame potassium may cause tumors in rats. Artificial sweeteners have reportedly  been linked to causing negative effects on your metabolism and as well as tinnitus, headaches and neurological disorders. Want something sweet, go natural. Try fruit or the unprocessed stuff such as honey and maple syrup.

Benzoate Preservatives: Fresh is best and that’s what this preservative does for those who don’t make it to the farmers markets in time. However  preservatives like BHT, BHA and TBHQ have been linked to throwing off estrogen levels in women, leading to behavioral issues, allergies, asthma, cancer and other serious illnesses.   BHA has been shown to cause cancer in mice and rats as well as affecting sleep and appetite. Another nasty is Sodium nitrite which is used to preserve meats such as, bacon, hot dogs and canned meats. Sodium nitrites pose a concern because of how they mix with stomach acids and have been tied to many cases of stomach cancer.

MSG and artificial flavors: That’s what in chinese food isn’t it? Everything is free of it now isn’t it? Not so. Monosodium glutamate is found in lots of restaurant food, snacks, frozen and canned goods and can often be labeled as “natural flavor,” but its effects are anything but natural: headaches, nausea, allergies and rapid heart rate. Other artificial flavors are also linked to health risks such as thyroid disorders, allergies and behavioral issues.

Artificial colours: Sounds pretty straightforward and explanatory doesn’t it? They just make colours in foods appear more real. But Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, and Yellow 6 are all suspected carcinogens. They can be found in a wide range of products including beverages, baked goods, candy, gelatin, certain cereals and sausages. Enough to make you put that pink candy back on the counter isn’t it?

Oxidising agents: Like your bread nice and doughy? Lucky you, with every slice you will be getting a serve of potassium bromate which is an oxidizing agent used in the bread-making process to make the bread stronger and more elastic. Bromate has linked to cancer in animals and has been banned in several countries to include Canada and the European Union.

It’s a lot to swallow for anyone trying to be healthy. No pun intended.

So what do the health experts recommend? Obviously, not to eat these additives or at the very least in moderation but their guides in how to do this range from basic food guidelines to the ridiculously complicated.

But for me, I’m arming myself with two tools. One, an alarm clock to wake me up early enough to get to the farmers markets each and every time so I can buy fresh without the added store-bought ‘packaged freshness’.  And number two, a watchful eye to scan all labels for any hidden nasties.

Lets face it, if something seems to sweet to be true, it often is.

x

J

Ps. some excellent links to find out just how many additives are in the foods you eat check out the below links, makes you re-think that raspberry cordial that’s for sure..

http://www.nutritionandyou.com.au/100toxicfoodchemicalsinonedayiseasytodo/

http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/6-ingredients-you-may-not-want-in-your-food