Top 10 Scariest Food Additives

There was a time when fruit flavored and cheese flavored meant made with real fruit and made with real cheese. Today? Its artificial everything. Most of the food at your local supermarket is no more authentic than Snookis tan. Our fruit comes packaged in Loops, our cheese delivered via Whiz. Sure, its edible, but theres no way your great grandparents would recognize this junk as food.

The problem with additives runs deep. The FDA currently maintains a list of ingredients called Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS), which features more than 3,000 items and counting. Thankfully, most EAFUS ingredients are benign, but a few of them do have potentially harmful effects. Why theyre legal is a mystery to us. Some of them might be backed by powerful lobby groups, while others probably survive simply because some guy at the FDA has too much paperwork on his desk and hasnt made time to adequately review the data.

Below are 10 of the most dubious ingredients hiding in your food, compliments of Eat This, Not That! 2011. Even if youre not convinced of their danger, you have to admit this: The more filler ingredients you cut from your diet, the more space you have for wholesome, nutritious foods.

Scary Ingredient #1: Olestra

A fat substitute synthesized by Procter & Gamble. Because human digestive enzymes cant break down the big molecules, Olestra contributes 0 calories to your diet.

Why its scary: In the late 90s, Frito-Lay released Olestra-enhanced WOW chips and Procter & Gamble introduced Fat Free Pringles. Both products were required to carry warning labels to notify customers about the risk of loose stools. Within 4 years, some 15,000 people had dialed in to a hotline set up specifically to handle adverse-reaction complaints. Apparently the complaints didnt move the FDA, because in 2003, the administration revoked the warning-label mandate. If you want to take your chances with diarrhea, go ahead, but first consider this: Olestra also appears to interfere with the bodys ability to absorb some crucial nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene. To counteract the effect, processers add some nutrients back, but its unlikely that all the blocked nutrients are adequetly replaced.

Furthermore, just last week I tweeted that an animal study at Purdue University found that fake fats like Olestra may cause more weight gain than real fat.

Where youll find it: Lays Light chips, Pringles Light chips

Scary Ingredient #2: Caramel Coloring

An artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.

Why its scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, its relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as known to cause cancer earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies arent required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so youd be wise to avoid it as much as you can.

Where youll find it: Colas and other soft drinks, La Choy soy sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix

Scary Ingredient #3: Saccharin

An artificial sweetener discovered by accident in the 1870s.

Why its scary: Studies have linked saccharin to bladder tumors in rats, and in 1977, the FDA required warning labels on all saccharin-containing foods. In 2000, the agency changed its stance and allowed saccharin to be sold without warning labels. But that doesnt make it entirely safe. A 2008 Purdue study found that replacing sugar with saccharin in rats diets made them gain more weight, proving once again that you should be aware of these faux fat foes.

Where youll find it: Sweet N Low, TaB cola

Scary Ingredient #4: Potassium Bromate

A compound that conditions flour and helps bread puff up during baking.

Why its scary: Potassium bromate causes thyroid and kidney tumors in rats, and its banned from food use in many countries. In California, products containing potassium bromate are required to carry a cancer warning. Fortunately, negative publicity has made the additive relatively rare, but until the FDA banishes it, you should remain on the lookout.

Where youll find it: Johnny Rockets Hoagie Roll

Scary Ingredient #5: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)

Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives.

Why theyre scary: The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals arent even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.

Where youll find it: Goya lard, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Orbit gum

Scary Ingredient #6: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

A semi-solid fat created when food processors force hydrogen into unsaturated fatty acids.

Why its scary: Partially hydrogenated fats are the principle sources of trans fat in the American diet, and a Harvard study estimated that trans fat causes 70,000 heart attacks every year. The good news: Partially hydrogenated oils are beginning to slowly retreat from our food. Progressive jurisdictions like New York City are starting to restrict the allowable amounts in restaurants, and many chains are switching to healthier frying oil. Still, the battle isnt over. At Long John Silvers, for example, there are still 17 menu items with more than 2 grams of the stuff. According to the American Heart Association, thats about the maximum you should consume in a single day.

Where youll find it: McDonalds McChicken, Long John Silvers Broccoli Cheese Soup

Scary Ingredient #7: Sulfites

Preservatives that maintain the color of food, and by releasing sulfur dioxide, prevent bacterial growth.

Why its scary: Humans have used sulfites to keep food fresh for thousands of years, but some peopleespecially asthma sufferersexperience breathing difficulties when exposed. In the 1980s, unregulated use resulted in at least a dozen deaths, prompting the FDA to slap warning labels on wine bottles and develop new guidelines for proper use. Now restaurants can no longer soak fresh ingredients in sulfites. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, there have been no known deaths since the new legislation took hold. The bottom line: If youre among the majority of people not sensitive to sulfites, consumption wont hurt you. If youre not sure, ask your doctor for a test.

Where youll find it: Wine, Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit, Jolly Ranchers, Fig Newtons

Scary Ingredient #8: Azodicarbonamide

A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner

Why its scary: This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible. Ill put it more concisely: Avoid it.

Where youll find it: Dunkin Donuts bagels, McDonalds burger buns

Scary Ingredient #9: Carrageenan

A thickener and emulsifier extracted from seaweed.

Why its scary: Seaweed is actually good for you, but carrageenan is a mere seaweed byproduct. Through animal studies, it has been linked to cancer, colon trouble, and ulcers. It isnt certain that carrageenan harms humans, but avoiding it is clearly the safer option. Most studies examined degraded forms of the additive, and research from the University of Iowa found that carrageenan could be degraded through the normal digestive process.

Where youll find it: Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Creamsicles.

Scary Ingredient #10: Ammonium Sulfate

An inorganic salt that occurs naturally near active volcanoes and is used commercially to nourish yeast and help bread rise.

Why its scary: This nitrogen-rich compound is most often used as fertilizer, and also appears commonly in flame retardants. Thankfully, the ingredient only sounds scarya 2006 Japanese rat study found the additive to be non-carcinogenic. Both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the FDA deem it safe.

Where youll find it: Natures Own bread, Subway rolls

Source:

health.yahoo.net