I’ve always said – stay away from foods that are advertised.

The food conglomerates are out to make as much money as possible with little regard to our health. They want us to believe their packaged foods are healthy but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here are 5 hidden health dangers found in most of the foods in your local grocery store.

1. BHA and BHT

BHA and BHT are antioxidants, mainly used to stabilize fats and oils in package foods. But they aren’t the good kind of antioxidants…at least not for your body. Food manufacturers use these compounds because oxygen reacts preferentially with BHA or BHT, rather than oxidizing fats or oils, thereby protecting the food from spoilage. As a result, the food can last longer on the shelf.

BHA and BHT are fat-soluble which should set off some alarm bells since any compound (good or bad) that is fat soluble will accumulate in the fat stores within the body. If this accumulation persists over time, toxicity results and serious health problems can arise.

In addition to preserving foods, BHA and BHT are also used to preserve fats and oils in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

What Foods Contain BHA and BHT?

BHA is generally used to keep fats from becoming rancid; however, it is also used as a yeast de-foaming agent. BHA is mainly found in butter, meats, cereals, chewing gum, baked goods, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, and beer. It is also found in animal feed, food packaging, cosmetics, rubber products, and petroleum products.

BHT also prevents oxidative rancidity of fats. It’s main role is to preserve food odor, color, and flavor. Many packaging materials incorporate BHT. You’ll often see “BHT added to preserve freshness” in the ingredient list of many common packaged foods such as shortening, cereals, and other foods containing fats and oils.

Are BHA and BHT Safe?

Of course not! If they were, they probably wouldn’t be included in this list of harmful food additives, would they now? Both BHA and BHT have undergone the additive application and review process required by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, the same chemical properties that make BHA and BHT desired preservatives also implicate them in many negative health side effects.

BHA, especially, is known to have serious detrimental effects in the human body. Both BHA and BHT have been shown to contribute to cancer and tumour growth.

According to a German study “…Specific toxic effects to the lung have only been observed with BHT. However, BHA induces in animals tumours of the forestomach, which are dose dependent, whereas BHT induces liver tumours in long-term experiments. … all published findings agree with the fact that BHA and BHT are tumour promoters.”

There is also evidence that many people have difficulty metabolizing BHA and BHT, resulting in health issues such as:

• liver and kidney damage,
• behavioral problems,
• infertility,
• weakened immune system,
• birth defects,
• cancer (IARC Group 2B)

BHA should definitely be should definitely be avoided by infants, young children, pregnant women and those sensitive to aspirin..

There is less extensive human data on BHT; however, studies show cancer-causing effects in animals. For example, according to the Crisp Data Base National Institutes Of Health 1999:

“…The food additive, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), encourages the development of tumors from previously initiated cells…in mice…”

The IARC classes BHT as a Group 3 food additive and interestingly enough, it is banned in England. Why not anywhere else???

So the bottom line is to avoid these harmful food additives. Just another reason to eat more natural whole foods.

2. Sodium Nitrite

As a food additive, the lethal sodium nitrite serves a dual purpose in the food industry since it both alters the color of preserved fish and meats and also prevents growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria which causes botulism.

Thus, food manufacturers mainly use sodium nitrite because of its “beautifying” effect on meat, turning it from an ugly brown to an attractive glowing red! Sodium nitrite is most commonly used in processed meats, such as bacon, ham, hot dogs, bologna, liver pate, and many more.

In Europe, sodium nitrite has the E number E250.

While this chemical will prevent the growth of bacteria, it has been well documented to be highly toxic for humans (and other animals).

Various dangers of ingesting this food additive have been suggested and researched by scientists. A principal concern is the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines by the reaction of sodium nitrite with amino acids in the presence of an acidic environment such as the human stomach.

Numerous studies have found a link between high processed meat consumption and colon cancer, due to the presence of sodium nitrite. A large review of the literature (comprising 17 studies) dramatically revealed that processed meat intake (including sausages, meat burgers, ham, bacon, salami, nitrite-treated meat and meat products) increases the risk of colorectal cancer by a whopping 49%!

Recent studies have also found a link between frequent ingestion of proceesed meats cured with nitrites and the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) form of lung disease as well as the onset of severe migraine headaches.

If you haven’t been able to tell by now, the presence of sodium nitrite in food is controversial due to the development of cancer-causing nitrosamines, which arise when the cured or processed meat is cooked at high temperatures, as well as, when it is presented to an acidic environment like our stomach.

These nitrosamines are produced when nitrites and secondary amines (usually proteins) react in a strongly acidic environment (such as our stomach) or at high temperatures, as in frying. Heating foods, especially frying them in rancid oils, is by far one of the most dangerous things you can do to your foods and to your body. And it follows that such cooking practices may be significantly linked to thousands of cases of colon cancer per year across the world.

Considering their carcinogenic capability, it’s amazing that nitrosamines are still found in so many types of foods, especially beer, fish (and fish byproducts), processed and cured meat, and cheese products preserved with nitrite pickling salt. However, since nitrosamines are not actually considered a food additive per se (just the by-product of one), the regulation of this chemical has been lax, to say the least.

But there is hope – if you want to call it that. Recently, the U.S. government established limits on the amount of nitrites used in meat products in order to decrease cancer risk in the population. Rules have also been established forcing food manufacturers to add ascorbic acid or related compounds to meat, because they tend to inhibit nitrosamine formation.

Regardless of governmental efforts, the fact still remains that a carcinogenic additive is in our food supply. How can there be a safe or acceptable level of any compound that causes cancer? It only makes sense that, over time, any additive like sodium nitrite will accumulate in the body and wreak havoc when it reaches a threshold amount.

Oh…I just about forgot to mention that other epidemiological data also suggests that nitrosamines (via sodium nitrite) in preserved foods cause stomach cancer! As if colon and colorectal cancer were not enough.

It’s no surprise then that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has labeled sodium nitrite as Group 2A food additive, meaning that it is “probably carcinogenic to humans”.

3. Sulfites

If you’re like me – someone who is allergy prone and has asthma – then you will want to pay close attention to this commonly used food additive.

Sulfites, also labeled as sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, or sodium sulfite, are preservatives used to prevent discoloration and bacterial growth.

Sulfites are commonly used to prevent discoloration in dried fruit, some “fresh” shrimp, and some potatoes. They are also abundantly found in wines and many beers. Other examples of foods that may contain sulfites include: baked goods, soup mixes, jams, canned vegetables, pickled foods, gravies, dried fruit, potato chips, trail mixes, beer and wine, vegetable juices, sparkling grape juice, apple cider, bottled lemon juice and lime juice, tea, many condiments, molasses, fresh or frozen shrimp, maraschino cherries, and dehydrated, pre-cut or peeled potatoes.

Dried Apricots – Brown or Orange?

One of the more deceiving tactics used by food manufacturers is the use of sulfites in dried fruit to preserve a “more attractive colour”. For instance, organic dried apricots (which don’t contain sulfites) have a deep brown colour. However, non-organic dried apricots (which contain sulfites) remain the yellow-orange colour most of us associate with fresh apricots.

Although the non-organic dried apricots are not nearly as healthy for us, they tend to be better sellers simply because they look more attractive to consumers. Remember, food labeling and packaging comes down to what’s going to sell the most – regardless of its health effects! So choose organic dried fruit whenever possible.

The issue with sulfites is that they can trigger mild to severe allergic reaction in about 1% of the population. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that one out of a hundred people is sulfite-sensitive, and that 5% of those who have asthma, like myself, are also at risk of suffering an adverse reaction to the substance. As with food sensitivity, you can develop sensitivity to sulfites at any time in life, and the cause of sensitivity is unknown.

I can speak from personal experience that consuming foods that have sulfites instantly worsens my asthma, causes my face to go flush, and creates irritability. For that reason, I have limited my wine consumption (and other sulfite-infested foods) to virtually never drinking it, except for on special occasions. Can you relate?

Deadly Reactions Leading to Legislation

To non-sensitive individuals, sulfites are generally safe. But if you think you may be sensitive, avoid all forms of this additive, because it caused at least twelve identifiable deaths in the 1980s and probably many, many more in the preceding decades. Deaths and less severe reactions were linked most commonly to restaurants foods. Sulfite levels in the lettuce and potatoes served at restaurants were often extremely high, because workers would allow the vegetable to sit in a sulfite solution for far too long a time.

From 1980 to 1999, the FDA received 1,132 reports of bad reactions to sulfites. More than 90 percent of them occurred in restaurants or other places outside the home. But the number of reported reactions has averaged only about ten a year since 1996, and no deaths have been recorded since 1990. That steep decline was mainly due to the waged a four-year campaign to get the FDA to ban sulfites from food by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), starting in 1982.

The tricky thing is that, by law, adverse reactions to drugs must be reported to the FDA by doctors or pharmaceutical companies, yet with sulfites and other food ingredients, reporting is voluntary, making it difficult to say just how many people may be at risk.

In 1986, as a result of pressure from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a congressional hearing, and media attention, the FDA banned the most dangerous uses of sulfites and required that wine labels list sulfite, when used. Furthermore, the FDA banned the use of sulfites on fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw, such as lettuce or apples. Regulations now also require manufacturers who use sulfites in their processed products to list the compounds on their product labels.

But the FDA has yet to act on CSPI’s request to require restaurants to disclose which of their foods contain sulfites.

Complicating matters, scientists have not pinpointed the smallest concentration of sulfites needed to provoke a reaction in sensitive or allergic persons. The FDA requires food manufacturers and processors to disclose the presence of sulfiting agents in concentrations of at least 10 parts per million (that’s 1 part sulfite to 100,000 parts of food–the equivalent of a drop of water in a bathtub), but the threshold may be even lower.

But how much of a poison should be allowed in the body? In mind, none!

Doctors believe that asthmatics develop difficulty breathing by inhaling sulfite fumes from treated foods. In a severe reaction, an overwhelming degree of bronchial constriction occurs, causing breathing to stop. This can lead to lack of oxygen reaching the brain, heart, and other organs and tissues and, possibly, a fatal heart rhythm irregularity. Yet it is not known which comes first, the asthma or the sulfite sensitivity.

Avoiding foods that contain or are likely to contain sulfites is the only way to prevent a reaction. If you are sensitive to sulfites, be sure to read the labels on all food items. When eating out, ask the chef or server if sulfites are used or added to food before or during preparation. If they don’t know, then ask to see the packaging of any foods that are not fresh.

4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

What if I were to tell you that an addictive chemical added to your food could cause brain damage, migraine headaches, obesity, numbness, tingling, tightness of the chest, asthmatic attacks, hives, skin rashes, dizziness, heart palpitations, weakness, nausea/vomiting, abdominal cramps, chills, diarrhea, heartburn, unusual thirst, unusual perspiration, flushing sensation in the face or chest, seizures, tachycardia, and depression, and that this chemical could effect how your children’s nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties?

Further, what if it could cause or precipitate Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, and Huntington’s Disease?

Pretty scary, right? Well, welcome to the wonderful world of monosodium glutamate (or MSG)! What you’re about to discover are some of the most horrific displays of humanity, and all because of the all mighty dollar!

What is MSG?

MSG is a chemical that is added to food to enhance its flavour. It is also highly regarded by food manufacturers as it creates addictive qualities in the foods in which it is present. This means consumers keep coming back for more because they just can’t get enough. As Pringles potato chips slogan says “Once you pop, you can’t stop!”

MSG is present in almost every single packaged and processed food! And why wouldn’t it? Big food conglomerates know that adding MSG to foods makes them more “tasty” and addictive. Ultimately, this means repeat sales and a sweeter bottom line for these corrupt food peddlers.

MSG is manufactured through a process of protein hydrolysis (which means separation with water). Manufactured free glutamic acid (MSG) is glutamic acid that has been freed from protein through a manufacturing process, or glutamic acid that has been grown from selected bacteria that secrete glutamic acid through their cell walls.

The important thing to remember is that this form of glutamic acid is NOT THE SAME as the L-glutamic acid which is a naturally occurring amino acid within our body and in nature. Food manufacturers claim that MSG couldn’t possibly harm you because it is “naturally occurring,” (not really as we just mentioned) but even if it were so too are arsenic and hydrochloric acid. You don’t see us consuming those “natural” products.

MSG is made up of L-glutamic acid and D-glutamic acid, and may bring with it pyroglutamic acid, mono and dichloro propanols (which are carcinogenic), heterocyclic amines (which are also carcinogenic), and other harmful contaminants (more on this later).

When a product is 99% pure MSG, the product is called “monosodium glutamate” by the FDA and must be labeled as such. However, when a hydrolyzed protein contains less than 99% MSG, the FDA does not require that the MSG be identified.

Therefore, MSG is easily and often masked and commonly found in other ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, malt extract, hydrolyzed protein, malt flavouring, hydrolyzed plant protein, bouillon, plant protein extract, broth, sodium caseinate, stock, calcium caseinate, flavouring, and yeast extract.

Toxic Reactions to MSG

The first published report of a reaction to MSG appeared in 1968 when Robert Ho Man Kwok, M.D., who had emigrated from China, reported that although he never had the problem in China, about 20 minutes into a meal at certain Chinese restaurants, he suffered numbness, tingling, and tightness of the chest that lasted for approximately 2 hours. This became known as the “Chinese-Restaurant Syndrome”.

The following year, John W. Olney, M.D. reported that laboratory animals suffered brain lesions and neuroendocrine disorders after being exposed to MSG.

At the same time, scientists studying retinal degeneration in mice treated with MSG had noted that these mice became grotesquely obese. Olney, who speculated that the obesity might be a sign of damage to the hypothalamus (the area of the brain that regulates a number of endocrine functions, including weight control), found that infant laboratory animals given MSG suffered brain damage immediately, and presented neuroendocrine disorders later in life.

In the years that followed, neuroscientists replicated the work of Olney, and Olney spoke out repeatedly about the toxic potential of MSG, causing manufacturers of baby foods (ie. Gerber) to voluntarily remove MSG from their products. However, these companies cleverly replaced the monosodium glutamate with MSG-containing ingredients such as autolyzed yeast and hydrolyzed vegetable protein until the late 1970s when finally manufacturers voluntarily removed all obvious MSG-containing ingredients from baby food.

It has been well established that MSG poses the greatest danger to children. Hundreds of studies have shown that MSG kills brain cells and causes neuroendocrine disorders in laboratory animals and humans (especially in young ones).

Scientists also know that the blood brain barrier, once thought to prevent glutamate (amino acid in MSG) from entering the brain, is not fully developed until puberty and becomes more permeable with age. As a result, scientists have regarded MSG (and its resulting “glutamate cascade”) to be highly dangerous to children, as well as, a contributing factor to a number of age-related disease conditions such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, seizures, and stroke.

Scientists also understand that MSG is simply processed free glutamic acid, and that glutamic acid is a neurotransmitter that causes nerves to fire; and when present in excess quantities, causes nerves to fire until they die. This is one of the reasons that MSG has such detrimental effects on the brain and nervous system.

Considering that more than 25% of the population is known to be sensitive to MSG, its presence in our foods is a frightening reality. However, its effects varies greatly from one person to the next.

For instance, some people eat MSG and react immediately, while some others can react as late as 48 hours (or even 72 hours) after ingesting MSG. However, it is helpful to know that each person typically reacts within one predictable time frame after ingesting MSG. In my case, I experience tightness in my breathing with subsequent wheezing within just a few hours after eating ingesting foods with MSG. For me, this is pretty consistent observation.

Reactions to MSG are also dose related. Some people cannot tolerate even the smallest amount of MSG without having a reaction, whereas others tolerate single small amounts, but react to MSG when they ingest a gram or more in any one meal. Other people can ingest five grams or more without experiencing a reaction but may eventually fall prey to the adverse effects of cumulative MSG consumption.

The obvious goal is to minimize and eliminate MSG from your diet as best as possible!

5. Artificial Colourings (Food Dyes)

Most artificial colourings are synthetic chemicals that do not occur in nature. The use of coloring simply indicates that fruit or another natural ingredient has not been used. Because of this, as well as the fact that colourings are used almost solely in foods of low nutritional value (candy, soda pop, gelatin desserts, etc.), you should simply avoid all artificially coloured foods.

The main role of artificial colourings is to render foods more acceptable and attractive to food consumers. However, the use of colour can conceal the “true identity” of a food that may be damaged or inferior to another product. Colours can help make a food look better than it really is. Take for example the numerous rainbow coloured kids cereals, sugar filled energy drinks, and countless candies on the market that offer little to no nutritional value.

In 1960, the U.S. government ordered retesting of all food colourings on the market. At the time there were 140 such colours. Today there are only 9 that are deemed as safe for human consumption! As you are about to learn, some of these colourings are still from safe if consumed on a regular basis.

Below is a list, description, and word of caution of the some of the most commonly used artificial colourings found in our food supply.

FD and C Blue NO. 1

This “Briliant Blue” colouring, a derivative of coal-tar, is frequently used in bottle soft drinks, gelatin desserts, ice cream, candy, confections, cereals, baked goods, and puddings.

It may cause allergic reactions in hypersensitive individuals and was shown to produce malignant tumours when ingested by and injected into rats. In 2003, the FDA warned of several reports of toxicity, including death, associated with FD and C Blue No.1 (aka. Blue 1).

Considering these findings, it is amazing that Blue 1 is still allowed in so many foods. I often see athletes guzzling down liters of “antifreeze-coloured” sports drinks. They may be replenishing their fuel stores but at what cost? Apparently, the WHO does not mind as it classifies this food dye as “completely acceptable” for food use. It is even a permanent fixture on the FDA’s list of colour additives.

FD and C Blue NO. 2

Another derivative of coal-tar, this indigo or royal blue colouring is used in bottled soft drinks, baked goods, cereals, candy, confection, and dry drink powders. Like Blue 1, it can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals and has shown to produce malignant tumours in rats.

The largest study on Blue 2 suggested, but did not prove, that this dye caused brain tumors in male mice. The FDA concluded that there is “reasonable certainty of no harm.” And, the WHO’s toxicology rating indicates that the data on Blue 2 is not entirely sufficient to meet requirements acceptable for food use. Interesting, though, that it is still in so many foods!

FD and C Citrus Red No. 2

For beautifying purposes, this food dye has been permitted to colour the skin of oranges.
This, despite findings in 1960 that Citrus Red 2 damages internal organs and acts as a weak carcinogenic additive. Since most oranges are picked before they are fully ripe, this dye is added to enhance their orange-red glow! After all, who would want to buy a green skinned, unripe orange?

The WHO claims that the Citrus Red 2 can cause cancer and that the toxicological data previously available has been inadequate to determine a safe intake level. As such, it recommends that Citrus Red 2 not be used as a food colouring. Nevertheless, the FDA has approved its use despite several rodent studies showing potential for inducing bladder and urinary cancers.

It has been said that this dye does not seep through the orange skin into the pulp and that there is no risk of Citrus Red 2 intake except for when eating the peel. Knowing full well that many pesticides can indeed penetrate the peel and skin of many fruits, I prefer not to believe what the “experts” deem as safe when it comes to the penetrating potential of such food colourings.

The frustrating part is that where on an orange do you find a label noting the presence of this food dye?

FD and C Red No. 3

One of the most harmful food colourings; found in maraschino cherries, bubble gum, snack foods, candy, baked goods, hot dogs, barbecue potato chips, cereals, cherry pie mix, toothpaste, and oral medications.

Red 3 has been determined a carcinogen. The evidence that this dye caused thyroid tumors in rats is “convincing,” according to a 1983 review committee report requested by FDA. The FDA’s recommendation that the dye be banned was overruled by pressure from the Reagan Administration.

Other reports by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed that Red 3 may interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain.

Eventhough it was banned from cosmetic use in 1990, Red 3 is still permitted for use in foods and oral medications, by the FDA. Shocking really, considering the 1996 findings of researchers at Northeastern Illinois University who showed that Red 3 causes and promotes the proliferation of human breast cancer cells, even at very low doses.

FD and C Red No. 40

This is the newest and most widely used food dye. While this is one of the most-tested food dyes, the key tests on mice have been flawed and inconclusive. However, many scientists urge interpreting these “flawed” results with a grain of salt since all the tests on Red 40 were conducted by the manufacturer! An FDA review committee acknowledged problems, but said evidence of harm was not “consistent” or “substantial.” Like other dyes, Red 40 is used mainly in junk foods, drug, and cosmetics.

The National Cancer Institute reported that p-credine, a chemical used in the preparation of Red 40 is carcinogenic in animals and at high doses causes adverse reproductive effects.

Nonetheless, Red 40 is a permanent resident on the FDA’s “approved” additives for food list.

FD and C Yellow No. 5

The second most widely used coloring, also known as Tartrazine, is a lemon yellow coal-tar derivative, and is used in many breakfast cereals, jellies, bottled soft drinks, gelatin desserts, ice cream, candy, confections, baked goods, spaghetti, and puddings.

Yellow 5 is also used in more than 60% of both over-the-counter and prescription drugs. An ironic, yet scary, truth considering Yellow 5 can trigger severe allergic reactions such as life threatening asthmatic symptoms in individuals sensitive to aspirin and close to 100,000 other people in North America.

Yellow 5 became a permanently listed colour additive without restrictions after “interested parties” (ie. the colour industry) objected to the FDA’s 300 ppm in food limit in 1966. However, since 1981, Yellow 5 is required to be listed on any labels in which it is found.

The WHO also lists this food colour as “acceptable in food”.

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