Food preparations have advanced dramatically over the last decade. More than half of the meals in the market are prepared or packaged. No wonder they are ready-to-eat with a higher shelf life. However, most perks come with their costs. Such processed foods contain harmful chemicals, as shown by several animal studies. If they can cause diseases to animals, humans are no super creatures either! Experts strongly recommend you should avoid: artificial sweeteners, processed foods, and artificial coloring. So, the next time you visit a grocery store, move to the natural produce section to fill your cart. But be cautious there too. Here are the crucial food additives and colors you MUST avoid.
Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Waxlike, tough fat is made by forcing hydrogen onto the fat molecule’s carbon backbone. It results in fully hydrogenated vegetable oil. Food products manufacturers blend the non-hydrogenated liquid fats with hard fats to get consistency. It is in baked and processed foods, tub margarine, and peanut butter. Usually, partially hydrogenated oils contain more trans fat compared to full ones. However, since hydrogenation isn’t a perfect process, small amounts of trans fat inevitably remain in fully hydrogenated oils as well.
Sodium Nitrites And Sodium Nitrates
These are preservatives used to maintain the pinkish color of processed meats and fish. Sodium nitrites also prevent bacterial growth. You will find these two in sausages, hot dogs, and canned, cured, and packaged meats. Under conditions like high heat, sodium nitrite and nitrate react with amino acids. As a result, they form nitrosamines which increase the risk of cancer in one who consumes it. However, you can hinder this reaction. But, you’ll require erythorbic acid, ascorbic acid, or alpha-tocopherol for that.
BHT And BHA
Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene are antioxidants derived from petroleum. These preserve oils and fats. BHT and BHA are in cereals, crackers, butter, and hot dogs. Animal studies indicate the BHA is more dangerous. It has proved to cause forestomach cancers in hamsters, mice, and rats. Further, the Human Services and Health Department deems it a human carcinogen.
Corn Syrup
It is a food thickener, and liquid sweetener made using enzymes that break corn starch into sugars. Your nearest grocery store is probably full of corn syrup bottles. It’s because the corn industry is subsidized, and so these artificial sweeteners are abundant! Evey processed foods category you can imagine has a touch of corn syrup. It’s present in soups, bread, frozen dinners, sauces, and frozen treats. Now, here’s something to know. The food products with corn syrup provide no nutritional value other than a bunch of unwanted calories. In most cases, it has led to nothing more harmful than weight gain (but who wants that too!)
