Avoiding Just 5 Will Get You By -Part I

 The Worst of additives & preservatives to avoid

Part I

Reading the Summary

Here’s the deal.  For those of you who like short articles only, if you read the first few sections below and want to stop – you will have most of the information you need.

Aside from allowing your eyes to glaze over when someone starts talking about food additives and preservatives, you basically have two choices.  You can figure you lived this long (and in fair shape) without worrying about ‘every little thing’ in your food.  Or you decide that the amount of additives has only gotten worse in your lifetime and that trying a little harder to avoid the worst of the worst will help you stay vital for a longer time.   

I can’t blame those who don’t want to worry about every little thing.  In addition to not wanting to think about it, there is the issue of how complicated it seems.  And it is. It’s not much fun to read OR write about.  Not only is the subject of additives and preservatives complicated but the food industry (obligated to make profit their bottom line) doesn’t work at keeping things simple and may have interest in obfuscating some things – or at least putting a good ‘spin’ on it.  Still, personally I wanted to do something to decrease my own consumption and figured that finding a (relatively) easy way to look at it and avoid some chemicals would be a big step.  That is what I am sharing here.

FDA and Safety

One other thing regarding attitude on this subject.  You might assume (like most consumers) that the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) is there to ensure the safety of ingredients in the food supply which allows you not to worry about it.  I have great respect for the FDA but for those wanting to take part in their own best-possible longevity scenario don’t rely on the FDA to be your crutch.  Their intentions may be excellent but many additives have not been as thoroughly tested as you might think.  Surprisingly much of the testing (a majority) for safety is not done by the FDA or independent labs, but by food manufacturers (or contractors for them).  Perhaps more scary is a legal loophole that allows the companies to kind of categorize the substance themselves.  The term used is GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and the company – even if the first to use a chemical – can declare this GRAS status and start using it in foods.  Technically (and legally) such ingredients are to be individually listed on the packaging but often they are simply labeled as “artificial flavorings or coloring.”    With new ones coming all the time, we can only hope they will be labeled.

If my research is correct, the FDA has not banned a substance since 1998 (ethylene glycol, a main ingredient of antifreeze and a synthetic solvent shown to cause kidney damage).  It may be that we cannot expect the FDA to study and oversee each and every one of these chemicals with their own resources (or independent contractors).  But then you cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that some ‘consumables’ might not be as safe as you thought – just because they are ‘allowed’ in the food.

The Easy Route

First, I admit that I give up when it comes to a restaurant; I just can’t be that fanatical, or that dedicated.  So I say, enjoy the restaurants to the fullest (as long as you are not eating out every day) and keep this list in mind for the at-home meals and your grocery shopping.  Maybe as more of us avoid items for the same reason, the more manufacturers will clean up their act.  [If for some reason, you wish to know the molecular structure ¹ of any chemical I refer to click here.]

My List – ‘Avoiding just 5 will get you by’

How about remembering JUST 5.  Most of us realize we probably get more chemicals (additives and preservatives) in our food than we wish.  It is difficult to familiarize yourself with the culprits — let alone remember them all.  Sad too is that even If you are one of the people who would like to do a bit more about decreasing YOUR intake, and you have good intentions to try, the obscuration of information still makes it difficult.  Worse, it becomes more problematic when the FDA makes no decision or doesn’t ban certain things that most truthful health researchers recommend avoiding.  So let’s just try for the possible top five (5) worst offenders.

You will find that I have cheated just a bit to get to only 5; and I admit it now.  But even eliminating just the ones you find easy to remember is an accomplishment.  If you could eliminate all five (5) you would be taking a VAST step in cleaning up your additives act.  Look at your label for just these (if nothing else), and think twice if they are there.

1. Trans fats (look for ‘partially hydrogenated oil’ on the label)
2. The Bad Bs. BHA and BHT and BVO (look for these initials or any BIG, looooonnngggggggg words that when abbreviated represent these items)
3. Artificial dyes. My counting game – think 1-2-3-4(0)-5-6 and ARTIFICIAL caramel (known as ammonia-sulfite caramel)
4. Artificial sweeteners (color coding below – and ‘go green’ if you insist on artificial sweeteners)
5. Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate

 

HERE IS THE FIRST STOPPING POINT.  As promised, if you want to stop here, you have the basic information.  Although admittedly I throw in some hidden points, products and clarifications below to entice you to read on.

 Below are notes to defend and explain why these 5 are on my  *&#$@*^%  List

 

1. Trans Fat

NYC got rid of them, how about you.  It is EASIER these days than it used to be because so many products will tout ‘NO TRANS FATS’ in big letters.  Trans Fats are found in deep fried fast foods and many processed foods made with margarines, shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.  Look at ingredients in some (not all) frozen pizzas, crackers, cookies, salty snack mixes, baked goods and many salad dressings.  These fats are formed by a process known as hydrogenation (hence the key words to look for).  The problem is that numerous studies show that these resulting fats (trans fats) increase cardio vascular diseases (heart attacks, strokes, etc).  This may be due to the fact that they raise bad cholesterol levels (LDL) while jeopardizing the good kind (HDL).  Even government agencies such as the CDCP (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) agree that cutting trans fats out of the diet could prevent thousands of deaths and heart attacks each year.  There is also mounting evidence that people with high amounts of trans fats in their blood levels have a greater risk of developing diabetes (this may or may not be due to accompanying sugars and sodium) as well as certain cancers.

The reason most of us are familiar with the words ‘trans fats’ is because it has gotten a lot of attention and its ills have been well documented and broadcasted.  Don’t think of the use of trans fats as making good ol’ comfort foods, if just a bit fatty.  No, it is a process which results in chemicals that really disturb our system.  Any comfort food can be made without trans fats.

2. The Bad Bs. BHA and BHT and BVO

OK, so they are not all related and I am cheating by putting them in one category, but it is a way to help you quickly identify the NO-NOs on your labels.  For the more technical among us, the real names of these elements are Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) and Brominated Vegetable oil (BVO).  These are the types of chemical names that make most of us throw up our hands and either put the product down or throw in our grocery basket by default and figure ‘it hasn’t killed me yet’.   

BHA and BHT – these two ARE often lumped together because they are both preservatives.  They are  found in many items, like (some) cereals (including some of my favorite Kellogg varieties and well-known brands), chips, frozen meats, enriched rice, jello products, cakes/pies, chewing gum/candy and many processed foods and vegetable oils.  The usage is to keep foods from changing color, changing their taste or becoming rancid. Good goals, but you still may want to skip them.  Both are made from coal tar or petroleum and have been a concern for more than 30 years based on studies showing neurological effects, and altered brain chemistry.  The FDA still lists these ingredients as ‘safe’ but the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer disagrees showing they have been linked to cancer-forming compounds which is evidently why California has now listed BHA as a Carcinogen.  Propyl gallate is another questionable preservative used for the same purposes and often found in conjunction with bha and bht; as is TBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone) which prevents rancidity

BVO or brominated vegetable oil is in the limbo list of the FDA (otherwise known as an ‘interim’ food additive – a rare listing). There is good news and bad news here.  Previously, this was a sad one to avoid for those who enjoy citrus sodas (like Mountain Dew) and power drinks.  One piece of good news (at this writing) is that it looks like Pepsi Co will be dropping BVO from Gatorade and  Mountain dew and Coco cola will drop the ingredient from Powerade.  Keep your eyes alert.  The bad news is that the ingredient (used as an emulsifier) contains bromine, a compound that disturbs most people when they find out it is in flame retardants.   It is linked to memory problems and because it builds up in fatty tissue has been shown to cause heart disease in animals.  It is banned in many countries (including Japan, India and those of Europe).  The real good news is we can hope this one is on its way out (but isn’t gone yet).

 

3. Artificial Colorings & Dyes.  My Counting Game Shortcut: 1-2-3-4(0)-5-6

…..AND   ammonia-sulfite caramel (not your mother’s caramel).

Talk about giving up on learning what to leave on the grocery shelf.  This is hard!  Trying to figure out which dyes are the worst can be totally frustrating (considering that few are good, other than natural coloring products like beets, turmeric, paprika, etc.).  There is also the possibility of a product not being labeled in a clear way and instead being lumped into the term ‘artificial coloring’ when it should be listed separately.  But in general we could avoid some of the worst ones IF WE COULD EVER REMEMBER THEM.  So let’s take a bit of a short cut.

Think about counting.  1-2-3-4(0)-5-6.  Sure, it would be nice if that zero didn’t have to follow the ‘4’ but at least it gives our brain an easy pattern.  We want to eliminate:

• BLUE – 1 & 2
• RED – 3 & 4(0) – meaning Red 3 and Red 40
• YELLOW – 5 & 6.   Unfortunately  #5 yellow is just as often called Yellow Tartrazine

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In general artificial dyes have significant problems, and many are banned in numerous countries.  Still, the FDA has most on their acceptable list of colorings. In short, not all the colors are the same risk regardless that they are made from coal tar and petroleum.  Animal and review studies have found links or strong correlations to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children, severe itching/hives (Yellow  #5), thyroid cancer (Red #3), and chromosomal damage (Blue #1 & 2), interference with brain nerve transmission (Red 3 & 40),  kidney and adrenal gland tumors (Yellow #5 & 6).           For grandkids or other young children, consider these recommendations of additives to avoid for children, and click here for a chart showing which countries have banned them.

Not your mother’s (or your home-made) caramel.

Caramel is one of my favorite flavors; it’s a favorite for many folks, but we are referencing another test-tube concoction here. Hand-made Caramel is made by heating sugar compounds.  That is OK (we have all done this).  In contrast, when the food industry prepares caramel COLORING (especially for some sodas, soy/Worcestershire sauces, baked good and chocolate flavored products, syrups AND sorry to say, beer) with ammonia and 2 carcinogenic elements (2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole) it is not OK.   There are findings not only with carcinogenic properties but respiratory problems.  In 2012 the state of California’s EPA listed the ammonia caramel coloring as carcinogen and also demanded a warning notice for products containing too much of the  4-methylimidazole  (mentioned above).  Basically the industry said they would sell the products not correctly labeled in other parts of the country.  Since I don’t live in California, all I could think was “Oh boy.”  If you can reduce consuming some of these sauces, beverage and beer products that contain it you will also reduce extra calories.   That might be an incentive.

So frankly, this is detailed information and if you have read this far, you probably need a break.  I have divided this subject into 2 parts to make the ‘consumption’ easier.  Next time (or NOW) look for part 2 which is explaining the artificial sweeteners in more detail, but will also include some tid-bits on:

• HFCS – my High Fructose Corn Syrup GAME
• Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate
• And MSG (with a surprise ending)

So don’t forget Part 2, but since we are taking a break here, you might enjoy reading another way to get a break.    

A man urgently needed a few days off work, but knew the Boss would not allow him to take leave.
He thought that he would do something crazy. So he hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises.
Santa, his co-worker asked him what he was doing. The man told him that he was pretending to be a light bulb so that the Boss might think he was ‘Crazy’ and give him a few days off.

A few minutes later the boss came into the office and asked, “What in the name of good GOD are you doing?”
The man told him he was a light bulb.
The boss said, “You are clearly stressed out. Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.”
The man jumped down and walked out of the office….

When co-worker Santa followed him, the Boss asked Santa, “And where do you think you’re going?”
Santa replied, “I’m going home, too. I can’t work in the dark!”

 

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