These are REALLY good
reasons to eat CLEAN!
This may seem like a lot to read, however it is ridiculously important to understand the dangerous ingredients that are in the foods you're eating so that you can do your best to avoid them.
Read it, memorize it or make it your computer back round for a few days.
Next time you're shopping around at the grocery store, check out the ingredients on the back of your foods!I bet you'll be surprised.
1. BHA
This preservative is used to prevent rancidity in foods that contain oils.
Unfortunately, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) has been shown to cause cancer in
rats, mice, and hamsters. The reason the FDA hasn’t banned it is largely
technical—the cancers all occurred in the rodents’ forestomachs, an organ that
humans don’t have. Nevertheless, the study, published in the Japanese Journal
of Cancer Research, concluded that BHA was “reasonably anticipated to be a
carcinogen,” and as far as I’m concerned, that’s reason enough to eliminate it
from your diet.
2. Parabens
These synthetic preservatives are used to
inhibit mold and yeast in food. The problem is parabens may also disrupt your
body’s hormonal balance. A study in Food Chemical Toxicology found that daily
ingestion decreased sperm and testosterone production in rats, and parabens
have been found present in breast cancer tissues.
3. Partially Hydrogenated Oil
I’ve harped on this before, but it bears
repeating: Don’t confuse “0 g trans fat” with being trans fat-free. The
FDA allows products to claim zero grams of trans fat as long as they have less
than half a gram per serving. That means they can have 0.49 grams per serving
and still be labeled a no-trans-fat food. Considering that two grams is the
absolute most you ought to consume in a day, those fractions can quickly add
up. The telltale sign that your snack is soiled with the stuff? Look for
partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient statement. If it’s anywhere on
there, then you’re ingesting artery-clogging trans fat.
4. Sodium Nitrite
Nitrites and nitrates are used to inhibit
botulism-causing bacteria and to maintain processed meats’ pink hues, which is
why the FDA allows their use. Unfortunately, once ingested, nitrite can fuse
with amino acids (of which meat is a prime source) to form nitrosamines,
powerful carcinogenic compounds. Ascorbic and erythorbic acids—essentially
vitamin C—have been shown to decrease the risk, and most manufacturers now add
one or both to their products, which has helped. Still, the best way to reduce
risk is to limit your intake.
5. Caramel Coloring
This additive wouldn’t be dangerous if you made
it the old-fashioned way—with water and sugar, on top of a stove. But the food
industry follows a different recipe: They treat sugar with ammonia, which can
produce some nasty carcinogens. How carcinogenic are these compounds? A Center
for Science in the Public Interest report asserted that the high levels of
caramel color found in soda account for roughly 15,000 cancers in the U.S. annually.
Another good reason to scrap soft drinks? They’re among The 20 Worst Drinks in
America.
6. Castoreum
Castoreum is one of the many nebulous “natural
ingredients” used to flavor food. Though it isn’t harmful, it is unsettling.
Castoreum is a substance made from beavers’ castor sacs, or anal scent glands.
These glands produce potent secretions that help the animals mark their
territory in the wild. In the food industry, however, 1,000 pounds of the
unsavory ingredient are used annually to imbue foods—usually vanilla or
raspberry flavored—with a distinctive, musky flavor.
7. Food Dyes
Plenty of fruit-flavored candies and sugary
cereals don’t contain a single gram of produce, but instead rely on artificial
dyes and flavorings to suggest a relationship with nature. Not only do these
dyes allow manufacturers to mask the drab colors of heavily processed foods,
but certain hues have been linked to more serious ailments. A Journal of
Pediatrics study linked Yellow 5 to hyperactivity in children, Canadian researchers
found Yellow 6 and Red 40 to be contaminated with known carcinogens, and Red 3
is known to cause tumors. The bottom line? Avoid artificial dyes as much as
possible.
8. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, used as a flavor
enhancer, is plant protein that has been chemically broken down into amino
acids. One of these acids, glutamic acid, can release free glutamate. When this
glutamate joins with free sodium in your body, they form monosodium glutamate
(MSG), an additive known to cause adverse reactions—headaches, nausea, and
weakness, among others—in sensitive individuals. When MSG is added to products
directly, the FDA requires manufacturers to disclose its inclusion on the
ingredient statement. But when it occurs as a byproduct of hydrolyzed protein,
the FDA allows it to go unrecognized.
Xox Brittany
The Fitspirational Blonde
