Dangerous Food Additives

In the United States, food producers have over 3000 additives at their disposal to preserve, "enhance, alter texture, and add flavor and color to the food we eat. Lucky for us the food created by nature has been made over to become more aesthetically appealing to the masses; or so we think. Anytime food is altered or processed, there are certain risk factors. Glance over the foods in your pantry when time permits to see if they contain some of the most dangerous additives on the market. Most, although not scientifically proven, have been linked to some form of cancer.

Proply Gallate

This additive is used to help prevent fats and oils from spoiling. Most often found in meat products (chicken soup base) and chewing gum. Some studies link Proply gallate to cancer.

BHA and BHT

Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydrozyttoluene. Used to prevent common foods from oxidizing and also keeps fats and oils from going rancid in cereals, potato chips and vegetable oil.

Sodium Nitrate

Used to preserve color and flavor meat products. Most commonly used in bacon, smoked fish, hot dogs, and lunch meats. Some studies show under high temperature cooking conditions such as grilling, sodium nitrate transforms into a reactive compound known for promoting cancer.

Aspartame

Low calorie foods and drinks are loaded with aspartame. In the 1970's, aspartame was found to cause brain tumors in rats. A more recent study shows even the smallest dose of aspartame greatly increased the cases of lymphomas and leukemia.

Monosodium Glutamate MSG

A flavor enhancer we should all do without and widely used in Asian cuisine. Side effects include headaches and nausea and studies show nerve damage as well.

Acesulfame-K

Found in baked goods, gelatin and chewing gum, this preservative is relatively new on the market. Approved by the FDA back in 1998 for use in soft drinks, be weary of this additive as testing and research is scarce.

Potassium Bromate

Used most often in breads and rolls and increases volume in white flour, Potassium bromate has been banned across the world except for the US and Japan and has been proven to cause cancer in animals. In California, a cancer warning product label is required if Potassium bromate is an ingredient.

Food Coloring

Beware of those brightly colored delicacies as they most likely contain some of the most harmful additives out there. Blue 1 and 2 bran tumors in mice; red 3 can cause thyroid tumors; Green 3 although used rarely has been linked to bladder cancer; Yellow 6 contains a small amount of carcinogens and can be found in baked goods and sausage. Potentially causes adrenal gland and kidney tumors. In animal testing, these are all linked to cancer.

Sodium benzoate

Recently linked to ADHD, sodium benzoate is another preservative we should try to avoid. Most prevalent in acidic foods like salad dressings, soft drinks, fruit juices, and pickles, it also goes by the product name of E211. Although sodium benzoate occurs naturally in some foods (apples, plums, cranberries). When sodium benzoate and vitamin c combine, they form the chemical benzene, which is carcinogenic.