5 Scary Food Additives In Your Food Supply

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN & Amy Coates, RHN, BSc.

When it comes to scary food additives, consider these top 5 a few of the worst in a long list of dangerous chemicals that are added to the foods we eat every day. Food additives have become so prevalent, and their dangers so downplayed, that it is far easier to avoid processed foods altogether than it would be to weed out dangerous additives. Still, we know that sometimes packaged or processed food is unavoidable.  For those moments, here is a list of five additives that should immediately make you put those toxic foods right back on the shelf and nowhere near your mouth:

Trans fat: Noted on food labels as partially hydrogenated oil or vegetable oil, this is a type of fat your body cannot recognize or break down. Because you can’t easily pass it through your digestive system, it stays longer in your blood, where it is far more likely to be deposited on arteries and cause coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer. It is important to look at ingredients, not just nutrition information, since manufacturers are exempt from listing it at all if their product contains fewer than .5 grams. Any amount of this is too much. Don’t be fooled.

Artificial Coloring: Artificial coloring is normally added to food to make it appeal to young children. That is why candy, soda, and other soft drinks have it. But artificial colors are not limited to candy and potato chips.  Many foods contain artificial coloring, so it is necessary to read your food labels. Especially avoid the following known carcinogens: Blue 1 and 2, Red and Green 3, and Yellow 5 and 6.

Saccharin (artificial sweetener:) Saccharin is becoming less common and the U.S. is considering banning this artificial sweetener. Saccharin is a known cancer-causing agent, but so is its replacement, aspartame. The best thing you can do is avoid chemical sweeteners altogether. If you are avoiding sugar, just avoid it and don't replace it with something even worse. Learn how to get rid of sugar cravings.

Olestra: Reduced fat and calorie potato chips? Don’t even think about it. Since Olestra, or Olean was first introduced, the fat that was promoted as a tasty treat that could help you lose weight has been discovered to be indigestible. In the body, it causes major digestion problems and blocks the ability to absorb lycopene, beta-carotin, and other nutrients. This poison has not yet been banned in the U.S.

Diacetyl: Another poison that has not yet been outlawed from our food supply is a well-known drug that got most of its publicity in 2007, when it was linked to “popcorn lung.” Diacetyl is a butter flavoring that caused popcorn factory workers to contract lung disease from working with the chemical. It can be found on microwave popcorn and other “butter” flavored items.

Again, let us stress that this list is incomplete. The sheer amount of harmful food additives in the American food supply is both shocking and disgusting. That is why it is extremely important to eat a more wholesome, raw, organic diet, and avoid processed foods whenever possible.

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