Food Additives to Avoid

• Food additives are substances intentionally added to food during manufacturing to increase the desirability of the finished product, whether it be color, taste, or shelf life.  There are approximately 2000 different types of additives!  The standard American diet includes 3-5 pounds of these additives per year.  Additives can be toxic chemicals that can give rise to a number of symptoms.  The most common are psychological or neurological such as depression, headaches, mental confusion, mental illness or abnormal nerve reflexes.

PRESERVATIVES

These accumulate in body fat.  The most common allergic reaction experienced is hives.

1. BHA: Butylated hydroxyanisole
   1. Commonly found in prepared and packaged foods such as breakfast cereals, chewing gum and oil containing products e.g. potato chips, vegetable oils and shortening.
2. BHT: Butylated hydroxytoluene
   1. (See BHA)
3. Benzoates:  
   1. Benzoic acid and benzoates are widely used and are commonly found in shrimp and fish in extremely high amounts.
4. Sulfites:
   1. Typically used to prevent browning, color changes, or microbial spoilage.  Commonly sprayed on fresh fruit, vegetables, and fresh shrimp.  The average person consumes 2-3 mg per day.  If restaurants are the main source of meals, then an average of 150 mg per day is consumed.
5. Sodium nitrites and sodium nitrates:
   1. Nitrite-nitrate toxicity is due to its affinity for hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying molecule in the blood.  Nitrates convert hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which causes problems with oxygen transport.  When nitrites are heated or exposed to our stomach acids, they are converted to nitrosamines, a substance known to cause stomach cancer.  Nitrites and nitrates are added to meats to prevent the growth of bacteria that causes botulism.  It also gives the classic pink color to processed meats.  They are found in luncheon meats, ham, hot dogs, smoked fish and baby foods.

FLAVOR ENHANCERS

1. Monosodium glutamate:
   1. Other wise known as "MSG", this additive enhances the flavor of protein by exciting the taste buds.  It can overexcite the nerve endings and cause symptoms referred to as “Chinese restaurant syndrome”.  Symptoms from MSG consumption have been reported as a burning sensation in back of the neck, headaches, chest tightness, diarrhea, or flushing of the face.
2. Salicylates:
   1. These are aspirin like compounds used to increase or enhance the flavor of foods.  Those allergic to aspirin can experience reactions from eating foods high in salicylates such as curry powder, paprika, thyme, dill, oregano, and turmeric.  It is also found in the following prepared foods: Cake mixes, pudding, ice cream, gum, soft drinks and most dried fruits and berries.  The average intake per day is 10-200 mg.

ARTIFICIAL DYES

• Widely used in foods, beverages and drugs.  The most common coloring agents used are called azo dyes (dyes impregnated with nitrate).  Most are petroleum products derived from coal tar.  Certain tissues in the body are more susceptible to dyes, especially those that have quick turnover such as the cornea of the eye, skin in the mouth, skin lining the stomach and small intestine, and blood and lymph tissue.  Out of 33 known coloring agents, the following are the most commonly used.

1. Blue No. 2:
   1. Found in high amounts in candy and soda pop, it is implicated in causing brain cancer.
2. Citrus red:
   1. Found in non-organic Florida oranges
3. Green No. 3:
   1. Implicated in thyroid cancer.  Found in lime drinks and popsicles.
4. Yellow No. 6:
   1. Implicated in kidney cancer.  Found in soda pop and candy.
5. Yellow No. 5: Tartrazine
   1. Tartrazine - highly implicated in allergic responses and attention deficit disorder.  Those allergic to aspirin might react to Tartrazine.  Tartrazine sensitivity is common in individuals (around 20-50%).  It is a known to interfere with asthma medications (like aminophylline), some sedatives, steroids, antihistamines and antibiotics.  Vitamins can also contain Tartrazine.
   2. Other foods containing Tartrazine are:
      1. Orange drinks (Tang, Daybreak, Awake)
      2. Gelatin desserts (Royal and Jell-O)
      3. Italian dressing (Kraft)
      4. Cake mixes and icing (Pillsbury, Duncan Hines)
      5. Seasoning salt (French’s)
      6. Macaroni and cheese (Kraft)