by Staff of CityHolistic.com
It’s no secret that food shelves in the U.S. are stocked with processed foods containing numerous food additives to sustain longer shelf-life. When it comes to our food, manufacturers are more concerned about generating sustainable profits rather than sustainable food and products for consumers. What is the best way to stay informed and take control of what to put in your body? Make a checklist of food additives to stear clear from. Here is a starter list of the top five food additives to get rid of once and for all:
1. Monsodium Glutemate – MSG, monosodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid and is used as a flavor enhancer in many foods. This chemical actually stimulates the appetite and makes you eat more often! Which foods contain MSG and need to be cut out? Foods such as canned soups, cereals, pancake mixes, jello, canned meats and much more. Learn about more MSG food items and other names for MSG here.
2. High Fructose Corn Syrup – Whatever you may call HCFS – corn syrup, cane sugar, corn sugar – this food additive causes numerous health problems from weight gain and insulin resistance to high blood pressure and scarring of the liver. HCFS can be found lurking in a long list of foods. Read the list of foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup here.
3. Enriched Flour – It’s actually the opposite of ”enriched” and is deceiving to the consumer. Most consumers believe “enriched” means we are getting more when in reality we get less and it causes us more harm. The 11 core nutrients of flour are actually taken away and replaced by synthetic chemicals. Find out better alternatives to enriched flour here.
4. Artificial Sweeteners - Avoid consuming any food with artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame. This dangerous food additive has been linked to many health problems; even sudden death can occur from aspartame use because it damages the cardiac conduction system. Check for common brand names of aspartame here.
5. Hydrogenated Oil - Take a pass on any foods that list this ingredient on the label. Food manufacturers add hydrogen in regular oil, turning it from a liquid fat into an artificial solid trans fat for increased shelf-life. With larger profits, the food industry is falling short of nutritional value for consumers. Hydrogenated oil have medical evidence of being linked to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers. Shortening and margarine are the top culprits with at least 1/4 of artificial trans fats. Get the scoop about the dangers of hydrogenated oils here.
What are some other food additives you would add to continue this checklist? Share with us in the comments!
