It's nice to be able to store foods for a long time and enjoy their improved taste, but over-passion for food additives and sweeteners can lead to a variety of troubles: from obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Spending just a few minutes to browse health hazard rating, you can save yourself and loved ones from many problems in the future.
5. Aspartame (E951)
This chemically created sugar substitute consists of aspartic acid and phenylalanine in methylated form. Forms poison in the body - methanol. Regular intake of aspartame can lead to migraines, seizures, loss of vision, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis.
- In addition to toxicity, aspartame promotes weight gain, causing cravings for carbohydrates. A study by 80,000 women conducted by the American Cancer Society found that those who used E951 gained more weight than those who did not use aspartame products.
- This may be due to the fact that too often we equate a “diet” with products that say “sugar free” and “contain a sugar substitute” to allow more.
4. Artificial food colors
Animal studies have shown that certain color enhancers can cause cancer. This applies to artificial dyes E-133 and E-132 (blue), E-142 and E-143 (green), E-129, E-124 and E-123 (red), E-110 and E-102 (yellow )
- These dyes are made of coal tar. Who would consciously eat it?
- Artificial food colors can cause hyperactivity in children, and cause allergic reactions.
3. Sodium nitrite (E250)
It is found in smoked foods such as bacon, corned beef, ham and smoked fish.
- With its help, meat and fish are preserved and the red color of meat products is stabilized. Imagine a gray hot dog without an E250. However, if products with sodium nitrite are exposed to high temperature (for example, when frying bacon), they can react with the decomposition products of amino acids. In this case, nitrosamines are formed. These dangerous compounds are highly carcinogenic. In laboratory studies, researchers inject these compounds into laboratory mice when they want to provoke cancer in them.
- Eating processed meats with lots of E250 has been linked to cases of pancreatic and stomach cancer.
2. Monosodium glutamate (E621)
The top 5 harmful food additives simply could not do without this amino acid, which is widely used as a flavor enhancer in instant meals, fast food, seasonings, salad dressings, chips, etc. Monosodium glutamate is so “woven” into our food chain that it will be very difficult to find a product without it.
- E621 in small quantities is not harmful to health, however, its large doses when tested in rats caused loss of vision and thinning of the retina.
- And in a study of 752 healthy people in China, it was found that consuming sodium glutamate increases the chances of gaining weight.
- In addition, the need to add an artificial aroma means that the manufacturer does not rely on good food ingredients that will give the product a natural attractive smell.
1. Trans fats
Artificial trans fats are made by adding hydrogen molecules to unsaturated liquid oils. They can be found in potato chips, margarine, popcorn and other products.
- When consuming trans fats, the risk of heart disease is higher when compared to saturated fats.
- Saturated fats, such as those found in butter, cheese, and beef, do raise total cholesterol, but trans fats go even further. They both increase overall cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. And it protects against heart disease.
Before buying, check the labels of edible in search of the above additives, and skip those products that contain them.
