These days eating clean or healthy can be a very challenging task. Not to mention that it is also very confusing and frustrating to tell apart what's healthy or otherwse.
Most of the products on the supermarket aisles are no longer made of actual ingredients and are loaded with chemicals. Just look at the packaging and you're most likely stumped by all the artifical-sounding ingredients being listed. These include chemicals, additives and preservatives, basically “food-like” products.
Whatever happened to simple and straightforward ingredient lists?
Take for instance, a slab of butter that simply lists pasteurized cream and salt as its ingredients.
With these added ingredients, how can we make better decisions when shopping for food?
For starters, here's some of the most common additives to avoid.
Hydrogenated oils
This is used by food companies to increase shelf life and save costs. So much so that the food can have a shelf life that stretches over years. During the process, a liquid unsaturated fat is turned into a solid fat by adding hydrogen. Also known as trans fats.
What makes these oils bad for health is that they increase the body’s LDL (“bad”) cholesterol while decreasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol. It also increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and more.
They exist as refined vegetable and seed oils with no essential nutrients, such as soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, and peanut oil.
Sodium nitrites and nitrates
This can be found in many processed meats such as ham, sausages, bacon, hotdogs and so on. It is a preservative added to processed meats to stop bacterial growth. It also helps flavor and add color to the meats.
As a known carcinogenic, it has adverse effects on liver and pancreatic function. It can also cause colon cancer and metabolic syndrome which can lead to diabetes.
To avoid these two, always look for nitrate or preservative-free meats. the easier option is to simply opt for fresh, organic meats.
Added sugar and artificial sweeteners
High-fructose corn syrup is a highly refined sweetener made from corn. Also known as glucose syrup, corn sugar, fruit fructose, iso-glucose. It is rich in fructose, a simple sugar that can cause serious health conditions when consumed in large quantities.
It adds empty calories and added sugar to foods without any vitamins and minerals. This is why it has been shown to contribute to weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, insulin resistance. On the most part, it is linked to weight gain and diabetes.
This can be frequently found in soda, salad dressings, juice, candy, breakfast cereals, yogurt and snack foods.
So it is best to opt for whole, unprocessed foods without added sugar. You can also sweeten food with Stevia, yacon syrup or fresh fruit.
On the other hand, artificial sweeteners are used to enhance sweetness without the calories. It can be also identified by other names such as aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame potassium. They are also present in products such as Equal, Splenda, Sweet N Low, NutraSweet.
While they can aid weight loss and help manage blood sugar levels, they are also believed to be carcinogenic. It can cause headaches and digestive issues. It also messes with metabolism and insulin because the brain forgets that sweetness means extra calories, causing higher consumption of sweet food.
They are most commonly found in diet/sugar-free sodas and drinks, gum, and mints. Basically, it's present in anything that claims to be sugar-free and is sweet without the calories.
Generally though, artificial sweeteners are generally considered safe when consumed in moderation.
Artificial colors
A non-natural coloring made from food products that are not meant to go into the body. These colors make food look vibrant and colorful, much more than they would look naturally.
They are usually identified as Blue 1 and 2 (E133), green 3, red 3, red 40 and yellow 6 (E110), yellow tartrazine (E102) and so on. In most cases, their presence indicates that the food product is highly processed and usually not healthy.
In Europe, they have been banned for quite some time as it has been found to be linked to various cancers, chromosomal damage, and behavioral problems (ADD/hyperactivity) in kids. In other parts of the world, it is still very much present in food products.
It can be found in fruit juices, cocktail mixes, ice cream, candy, frosting, puddings, jams, to name a few.
Growth hormones [Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST)]
More specifically, it is a genetically-engineered version of natural growth hormones designed to boost milk production in dairy cows. Often, these are administered to conventionally-raised cows and cattle to encourage early puberty and obesity.
As a result, the milk produced by these cows have high levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). When consumed by humans, it has shown a link to breast, colon and prostate cancers. By giving cows rBGH, it also increases the incidence of mastitis in the animal and this in turn requires a high levels of antibiotics to be given to the cows.
It is present in all dairy products that aren't specifically labeled “No rGBH or rBST" as milk laced with rBGH milk does not need to be labeled.
Potassium bromate
This is food preservative used to increase the volume in breads, rolls, flour. Also known as bromic acid, potassium salt, bromated flour, “enriched flour”.
In this form, where whole grain has been processed, the bran and germ of the grain has been removed. The shelf life is extended at the expense of making it devoid of all the fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E and minerals. As a result they become too easy to digest and can cause insulin and blood sugar to skyrocket.
It has been banned in the EU, Canada and several other countries as it has been shown to cause cancer in animals. It is also an endocrine disruptor.
This can be found in many snack foods and in products such as white flour, rice, pasta and bread.
To avoid it, look for whole wheat as the first ingredient in any grain product. It is also possible to replace all processed grains with whole grains, like brown or wild rice, whole-wheat breads and pastas, barley, and oatmeal.
Carrageenan
A food additive derived from red seaweed. It is used as a thickener, emulsifier and preservative in many different food products. Their chemical makeup gives them the ability to form a variety of different gels at room temperature.
It is used to make dairy products creamier and are especially common in low-fat dairy products and dairy alternatives. These food include almond milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, coffee creamers and vegan cheese.
They can be identified by their European food additive number, E407 and E407a (with cellulose content) on ingredient lists.
Reearch has linked it to a host of gastrointestinal diseases and inflammation, which can eventually lead to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. This has raised concerns about its safety and its potential effects on health, but it is generally considered to be safe.
In the U.S., carrageenan is allowed under FDA regulations when used in necessary amounts. Additionally, the European Food Safety Authority has concluded that there is no evidence of adverse effects in humans. Thus, it is considered safe.
However, you can limit your intake of carrageenan by choosing carrageenan-free products.
Sodium benzoate
This is a preservative used to inhabit the growth of mold, bacteria and yeast. In this form, it is not very harmful but it can form benzene in the presence of vitamin C, heat and light.
When plastic bottles of soda are exposed to heat or when the preservatives are combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), it can give rise to dangerous levels of benzene build up. Benzene is also known carcinogen that can cause serious thyroid damage.
It is often added to carbonated drinks and acidic foods like salad dressings, pickles, fruit juices and condiments.
Therefore, in order to minimize your intake of sodium benzoate, try to avoid foods that contain benzoic acid, benzene or benzoate. Also, check if it is combined with a source of vitamin C such as citric acid or ascorbic acid.
