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These days, it’s hard to avoid packaged cereals, snacks, and prepackaged foods. However, a diet high in these can expose you to some of the worst food additives. That’s why it’s best to choose fresh foods whenever you can. If you can’t avoid prepackaged foods, here are the ten worst additives to watch out for.
Trans fat, also known as trans-unsaturated fatty acids, or trans fatty acids, has been a hot topic for years, leading consumers to check food labels to avoid these harmful substances. However, many fried fast foods still contain it, raising LDL cholesterol and causing heart disease, strokes, and chronic inflammation over time. Check for trans fat on labels of fried foods, chips, baked goods, and anything made with margarine or partially hydrogenated oils.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly refined artificial sweetener. You can find it in almost everything, making up a large part of the calories in prepackaged foods. You’ll find HFCS in snacks, bread, salad dressings, cereals, and candies. This additive not only raises bad cholesterol (LDL) but also contributes to weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
Aspartame, also known as Nutrasweet, Equal, and E951, is one of the worst food additives. It is often found in diet or sugar-free foods. These foods include candies, gum, cereals, sodas, and many other processed foods and drinks. While it seems like a good choice for those on a diet, aspartame is actually a carcinogenic neurotoxin. In short, it’s a sweet poison linked to brain tumors, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and migraines.
MSG is an amino acid used as a flavor booster in soups, salad dressings, appetizers, and many restaurant foods – especially Chinese food. While it may seem hard to believe, monosodium glutamate (MSG) can actually leave you feeling dizzy. It can cause disorientation, vision issues, headaches, and even neurological damage if you have too much.
Artificial food dyes give candy, ice cream, energy drinks, cereals, and baked goods their vibrant colors. You can also find them in some pickle brands, smoked salmon, salad dressing, and even medications. Common artificial colorants include Blue #1 and #2 (E133), Red #40 (E124), Yellow #6 (E110), and Tartrazine Yellow (E102). In some EU countries, these food dyes have been banned due to links with brain issues, behavioral problems, and cancer.
Sodium nitrate has raised concerns about prepackaged processed meats – like bacon, ham, hot dogs, lunch meat, corned beef, and other industrially processed meats – due to its carcinogenic effect on the human digestive system. While it extends shelf life and enhances food color, sodium nitrate is one of the worst food additives that can seriously harm the liver and pancreas.
Potassium bromate is a common additive used to increase the volume of baked goods made with refined white flour, such as bread and rolls. It makes them softer and fluffier, like the inside of a crispy roll. However, even small amounts of potassium bromate given to animals during food tests have resulted in various cancer diagnoses.
Sodium sulfite, also known as E221, is typically used in wines and dried or processed fruits. According to the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, approximately one in 100 people is sensitive to sulfites in food. Sodium sulfite is a major culprit behind food intolerances and associated symptoms like headaches, skin rashes, and asthma. Those with severe allergies could suffer from anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction) after consuming foods containing sulfites.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA or E320) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT or E321) are often added to foods to maintain color and flavor consistency. You can typically find them in boxed cereals, enriched rice, candy, certain frozen meats, gelatin, chewing gum, potato chips made with vegetable oils, and snacks containing animal fat and lard. Both BHA and BHT have been associated with cancer and mood changes.
Sulfur Dioxide (E220) is deemed highly toxic, to the extent that the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has prohibited its use in the United States on raw fruit and vegetables. This sulfur-based additive, previously sprayed on raw fruits and vegetables in grocery stores to enhance preservation, has been associated with low blood pressure, conjunctivitis, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and cardiovascular diseases.
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