Top 5 Food Additives To Avoid

Food additives are used to prolong shelf life and to enhance the flavor and appearance of certain foods. But the food additives used can sometimes be more harmful than beneficial. Families are exposed to a multitude of health disorders because of their consumption of artificial food additives. Check out the list of the top five food additives that you should avoid.

1. Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame or artificial sweeteners are known on the market as Equal or Nutrasweet. These sweeteners are often used in products that are marketed as diet or sugar-free. A highly carcinogenic product, aspartame is said to be the cause of short-term memory loss, diabetes, brain tumors, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer’s, lymphoma, headaches, nausea, seizures, anxiety attacks and a host of other disorders.

Another new artificial sweetener on the market is Acesulfame-K, which has equally dangerous effects. Look out for these toxic substances in diet coke, baked goods, cereal, breath mints, toothpaste, jello, tabletop sweeteners and sugar free sodas, just to name a few.

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a refined artificial sweetener which is also high in calories. You’ll find that it’s used in a lot of processed foods. There’s no faster way to pack on the pounds than by consuming processed foods that contain this product.

Weight gain is not the only dangerous side effect of HFCS. It will increase the bad cholesterol levels (LDL) in your body and lead to diabetes and damage to your body’s tissues.

HFCS can be found in most processed foods, flavored yogurts, salad dressings, cereals, canned vegetables, candy and breads.

3. Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium Glutamate or MSG is an amino acid that is used to enhance the flavor of soups, frozen foods, chips, restaurant foods, snacks, seasonings and a host of other foods. MSG will over excite your cells to the point of death. Regular consumption of these foods could lead to headaches, obesity, fatigue, depression, eye damage and other common disorders.

4. Trans Fat

Trans fat is probably the most dangerous of all the additives you can consume. They are used to prolong the shelf life of a number of food products. Trans fat can lead to an increase in LDL cholesterol and a decrease in HDL cholesterol. It will also increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attacks, and diabetes and will increase the amount of inflammation in the body.

The effects of trans fat is so serious that some countries have placed a ban on foods which are prepared using it. You’ll find trans fat in chips and crackers, fast foods, margarine and baked goods.

5. Sodium Nitrate

Sodium nitrate is used to preserve, flavor and add color to corned beef, hot dogs, bacon, smoked fish and other processed meats. This chemical compound is highly toxic once it enters your digestive system. It binds itself to nitrosamine compounds in the bloodstream and could possibly damage your liver and pancreas.

Attempts to ban this product has been railroaded by manufacturers who claim that there’s no other product that works as well for preserving processed and packaged meat.

Maurice is a health and fitness trainer who often writes articles on topics related to detox diet and weight loss. She occasionally contributes resourceful articles to Wellbeingdoctor a blog focusing on health and beauty.