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A study of more than 2,500 people found those who had diet drinks every day were 61 per cent more likely to get vascular problems (increased chance of heart disease) than those who did not have any carbonated drinks.
There are some soft drinks, including (diet drinks) that use potassium benzoate as a preservative--Carcinogens may accumulate in the body for years before "showing up"--they don't just pass out of your system via any form of elimination. Silently building up over decades, even, they can erupt as cancer of one form or another. Do we need to exacerbate the risk of lowered life expectancy by use of something that is only meant to extend a product's shelf life for a few months?
There are over 14,000 man-made chemicals added to our American food supply today. Food additives are not natural nutrition for humans or their pets. Children are suffering the most from food additives because they are exposed to food chemicals from infancy, and human bodies were not meant to be exposed to the degree of chemicals and food additives that we are currently
The European Chemical Agency added acrylamide to the list of substances of very high concern in March 2010.
Acrylamide caused cancer in animals in studies where animals were exposed to acrylamide at very high doses. Acrylamide causes nerve damage in people exposed to very high levels at work. FDA has not yet determined the exact public health impact, if any, of acrylamide from the much lower levels found in foods. FDA is conducting research studies to determine whether acrylamide in food is a potential risk to human health.
The most important factor to the Food Processor is making money. If they cannot produce a product that has a very long shelf life, then that product will be discarded and the food processor will lose money. So most of them introduce chemicals such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) to extend the shelf life of their products and allow them a better chance to be sold.
BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin [1]. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies BHA as a possible human carcinogen [2]. The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has also listed BHA as a Category 1 priority substance, based on evidence that it interferes with hormone function [3].
Long-term exposure to high doses of BHT is toxic in mice and rats, causing liver, thyroid and kidney problems and affecting lung function and blood coagulation [4]. BHT can act as a tumour promoter in certain situations [5]. Limited evidence suggests that high doses of BHT may mimic estrogen [6], the primary female sex hormone, and prevent expression of male sex hormones [7], resulting in adverse reproductive affects.
This additive has long been used to increase the volume of bread and to produce bread with a fine crumb (the non-crust part of bread) structure. Most bromate rapidly breaks down to form innocuous bromide. However, bromate itself causes cancer in animals. The tiny amounts of bromate that may remain in bread pose a small risk to consumers. Bromate has been banned virtually worldwide except in Japan and the United States. It is rarely used in California because a cancer warning is required on the label.
Potassium bromate has been banned from use in food products in Europe, as well as the United Kingdom in 1990, and Canada in 1994, and most other countries. It was banned in Sri Lanka in 2001[3] and China in 2005. It is also banned in Nigeria, Brazil[citation needed] and Peru.
In the United States, it has not been banned. The FDA sanctioned the use of bromate before the Delaney clause of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act went into effect in 1958—which bans carcinogenic substances—so that it is more difficult for it to now be banned. Instead, since 1991 the FDA has urged bakers to voluntarily stop using it. In California a warning label is required when bromated flour is used
Studies show that artificial colorings which are found in soda, fruit juices and salad dressings, may contribute to behavioral problems in children and lead to a significant reduction in IQ. Animal studies have linked other food colorings to cancer. Watch out for these ones:
Blue #1 and Blue #2 (E133)
Banned in Norway, Finland and France. May cause chromosomal damage
Found in: candy, cereal, soft drinks, sports drinks and pet foods
Red dye # 3 (also Red #40 – a more current dye) (E124)
Banned in 1990 after 8 years of debate from use in many foods and cosmetics. This dye continues to be on the market until supplies run out! Has been proven to cause thyroid cancer and chromosomal damage in laboratory animals, may also interfere with brain-nerve transmission
Found in: fruit cocktail, maraschino cherries, cherry pie mix, ice cream, candy, bakery products and more!
Yellow #6 (E110) and Yellow Tartrazine (E102)
Banned in Norway and Sweden. Increases the number of kidney and adrenal gland tumors in laboratory animals, may cause chromosomal damage.
Found in: American cheese, macaroni and cheese, candy and carbonated beverages, lemonade and more!
A Missouri woman named Angie Hausler was poisoned with the food additive sodium nitrite by a woman who wanted a chance at her husband.
Angie Hausler began feeling sick shortly after Christmas, right around the time that Vazquez separated from her husband.
"I would take her to the local hospitals and they could never figure out what was wrong with her, other than saying that she had the flu or a viral infection," Brian Hausler said. "As time went on, the sicker she got.
"Sodium nitrite is a dangerous, cancer-causing ingredient that has no place in the human food supply," he explains. The USDA actually tried to ban sodium nitrite in the 1970's, but was preempted by the meat processing industry, which relies on the ingredient as a color fixer to make foods look more visually appealing. "The meat industry uses sodium nitrite to sell more meat products at the expense of public health," says Adams. "And this new research clearly demonstrates the link between the consumption of processed meats and cancer."
The Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments issued the latest dietary guidelines Monday, instructing about half the population to reduce daily sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams, or about a half a teaspoon of salt, a day.
“The high sodium content of the American diet—mostly from processed foods—represents an enormous health problem,” said Dr. Claude Lenfant, president of the World Hypertension League. “If we could reduce the sodium in processed and restaurant foods by half, we could save about 150,000 lives per year.”
Trans fat comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation. Trans fats are more solid than oil is, making them less likely to spoil. Using trans fats in the manufacturing of foods helps foods stay fresh longer, have a longer shelf life and have a less greasy feel.
The stiffer and harder fats are, the more they clog up your arteries. Artificial trans fats do the same thing in our bodies that bacon grease does to kitchen sinks. Over time, they can "clog the pipes" that feed the heart and brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke risk.
According to the comprehensive Nurses' Health Study -- the largest investigation of women and chronic disease -- trans fats double the risk of heart disease in women.
No human body has any need for these man-made fats. Food manufacturers started putting them in products because they allow for a longer shelf life. Crackers, for example, can stay on the shelf and stay crispy for years in part because of the hydrogenated fats in them.
Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug.
Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death.
Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.
The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.
The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed.
Food manufacturers, who realize that many people would prefer NOT to have MSG in their food, have adapted by using so-called "clean labels." These ingredient labels hide MSG under names that consumers won't recognize, such as hydrolyzed soy protein.
Some manufacturers have also gone so far as to list "No MSG," "No Added MSG," or "No MSG Added" on product labels when MSG is still present, but exists only as a constituent in another ingredient!
MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in many packaged foods, including soups, salad dressings, sausages, hot dogs, canned tuna, potato chips and many more. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, an author and neurosurgeon, there is a link between sudden cardiac death, particularly in athletes, and excitotoxic damage caused by food additives like MSG and artificial sweeteners. Excitotoxins are, according to Dr. Blaylock, "A group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die."
Since 1948, this antioxidant has been added to foods containing oils and fats to prevent oxidation.[1] As a food additive, it is used under the E number E310.
--Some studies on rats have shown that propyl gallate may cause cancer.
--Other side effect of consumption are stomach and skin irritability, as well as allergic reactions that impact breathing. It may also cause kidney and liver problems.
--In some cases, to improve its efficacy, propyl gallate is used in conjunction with 2 other preservatives – BHA and BHT – which are also suspect as carcinogenic.
--Although the FDA considers propyl gallate safe, in other countries it is either banned or very limited in use.
Originally posted by v1rtu0s0
If you're reading this then I'm willing to bet you’re consuming foods with these additives. Because the corporations that produce these products are obligated to put profit over people, you can bet safety isn't at the top of their list. With that being said, you don't have to use or consume these products. The choice is yours.
Originally posted by RustyShakleford92
reply to post by v1rtu0s0
I really enjoyed your thread. May I ask a question. What CAN I eat? Is there any "diet" book that focuses on clean, chemical free food? I am always trying to make my diet as clean as possible, but I think it's almost impossible.
Originally posted by JaxonRoberts
BACK OFF THE BACON, BUB!
And while I will admit that there is a ton of chemicals in our food these days, the life expectancy keeps climbing, so is it really detrimental, or is it much ado about nothing? These two statistics most certainly ARE in conflict with each other...
But well thought out and stated thread! S & F!!!
Originally posted by rumor21
reply to post by v1rtu0s0
OMG what am i suppose to eat? This stuff is in everything.