Additive Avoidance

When we go the grocery store, most of us expect the shelves to be lined with food, food being defined as “ any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth”. We trust that when we spend our hard earned money to feed and nourish ourselves and our families, that retailers are indeed, providing us with the food that we need.

Ahhh, if it were all so simple.  

Unfortunately, our food system is governed by a profit motive, first and foremost, and as such, much of what is now sold as “food” fails to measure up to it’s very definition. Most of what is now sold is packed, boxed, bagged, tubed, canned, or frozen, and contains a number of different chemicals to enhance shelf life, flavour, texture, color, or any other feature of the product that would make it more economically viable, and appealing to the consumer.  

Little consideration is given to the long term effects of ingesting such novel substances on a regular basis. Just how much calcium proprionate can one body handle? How much decomoposing carageenan does it take to cause a serious case of colon cancer? These are questions that are seldom asked, and more infrequently answered.  

There have been a few bold pioneers that dare to step out and question the FDA and it’s decisions to release substances into the public food supply that are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). There are scientists that have subjected these substances to the rigors of unbiased testing, and have come to some conclusions that would have a lot of us questioning the “safe” status of many of the substances we regularly ingest.

I’ve compiled a list of a few of the most common and most dangerous chemical culprits that you may very well find lurking in your food supply at home. Take a look at this list of awful additives, and maybe you’ll want to clean out your kitchen after you do!

• Natural Flavor - also known as artificial flavor, yeast extract, organic flavour and “spices” Was once known as MSG until the “food” makers found a way to extract and condense this nasty neurotoxin and call it anything they like! Essentially, this is a highly concetrated form of glutamate. To our brains, it is the protein in food that the human body recognizes as meat. So the brain tells the body to eat, and eat lots. Our brains are tricked into thinking that the body is getting something very nutritious when it’s getting nothing at all except some very toxic substances. How toxic? These concentrated glutamates build up in the brain tissue, and can cause lesions on the brain. Actual lesions. This has been proven with rat studies. MSG and it’s “natural flavour” cousin have been implicated in headaches and even permanent brain damage. Some recommended reading on this topic? “Excitotoxins” by Dr. Russell Baylock . In his book he describes how nerve cells either disintegrate or shrivel up in the presence of free glutamic acid, aka MSG. Nearly 100% of all processed foods contain some form of MSG, and the glutamates in MSG are absorbed directly from the mouth into the brain. For more information on natural flavor and all it’s cousins, please visit http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/dirty-secrets.html
  

• Carageenan - this is a commonly used food additive that is extracted from seaweed by using powerful alkali solvents, which would be capable of removing the tissue from your hands. As carageenan is digested in the human gut, it actually becomes carcinogenic. Dr. Joanne Tobacman of the University of Iowa has proven this using human tissue in her studies, and many other studies have indicated similar findings. These studies have far-reaching implications, but they have not been enough to remove this known carcinogen from our food supply. For more information on carageenan, please visit http://notmilk.com/carageenan.html
  

• Soy Lecithin - this substance is commonly used as an emulsifier, to keep fats and water from separating in foods like margarine, peanut butter, chocolate candies, ice cream, coffee creamers, and infant formula. It also helps prevent spoilage, and extends the shelf life of foods. So what’s wrong with lecithin? It’s a waste product of the food processing industry. It comes from the sludge left after crude soy goes through a “degumming” process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides and has a consistency ranging from a gummy fluid to a plastic solid. It is processed using hexane. For more information about lecithin, please visit http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/lecithin.html
  

• Caramel -  No, this isn’t the sweet treat that you may think, it’s actually a coloring that’s commonly found in cola, brown bread, fruit juice, ice cream, and most recently in my vanilla flavoured organic yoghurt! This coloring has been implicated in a number of neurological disorders and has adverse effects on disease immunity systems.
  

• Nitrates/Nitrites - commonly found in preserved meat such as ham, bacon and other deli selections and ripened cheeses, these are are known to cause the blood disorder rnethaernoglobinernia, particularly in infants. Also known to cause the growth of cancerous tumors, cause changes in chromosome structure, and cause birth defects. 
  

That’s just my top five, but there are A LOT of nasties out there. My advice? If you can’t pronounce it, don’t know what it is, and could concoct it in your kitchen or grow it on a farm, then you probably shouldn’t be putting it in your mouth. But don’t just take my word for it. There are a lot of great resources out there that do a terrific job of divulging the dirty secrets of the food industry. Here are some links, and sugegsted reads:

http://www.newint.org/issue135/action.htm

www.wholesoystory.com

Books:
“Diet for a Poisoned Planet: How to Choose Safe Foods for You and Your Family - the Twenty First Century Edition” By David Steinman

“The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Brains and Harming our Children”  By Carol Simontacchi

Additive alert! : what have they done to our food? : a consumer's action guide / prepared by Pollution Probe (Randee Holmes).