Common Toxins from Food
Food shall be for the nourishment of our bodies, but little do we know what we are putting into our mouth each day.
Do you know what you’re eating? Is it natural? What does it do to your body in the long run?
Food additives is very common in all kinds of products. However, no statistics can show they do no harm to our body. In the opposite, more and more studies reveal that they have risk to health, even increasing the risk of cancer.
Below are the top 5 popular food additives that you better pay attention to! They only do harm than good.
Artificial Food Coloring
Common examples: Cakes, Coloured-Chocolates, Candies, Gummies
Food appealing to the eyes are not necessarily beneficial to the body. Artificial food colouring found in all sorts of food products, but especially those marketed for children.
Synthetic food dye can affect development and promote hyperactivity in children. Specific food dye is also linked to an increase risk of cancer.
Watch out for Red 3 (E127), Red 40 (E129), Yellow 5 (E102), Yellow 6 (E110), Blue 1 (E133), Blue 2 (E132), Green 3 (E143), caramel-brown food color (E150).
Artificial Flavorings
Common examples: snacks, bottled drinks, cakes, desserts.
Artificial flavors are chemicals designed to mimic the taste of other ingredients.
Animal study found that the red blood cell production in rats was significantly reduced after they were fed artificial flavorings for seven days. Flavours like chocolate, biscuit and strawberry were also found to have a toxic effect on their bone marrow cells.
Grape, plum and orange synthetic flavorings also inhibited cell division and were toxic to bone marrow cells in mice.
Do check the ingredients label of your foods before you buy them! For example, buy strawberries cakes that contain real strawberries instead of just strawberries flavouring.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) E621
Common examples: Soup pack, Ready-to-eat meals, Chinese food, meatballs, chips, snacks
Used to enhance flavour, MSG signals your pancreas to pour out more insulin – that’s why you feel hungrier to eat more and get hungry quicker.
MSG has been associated with various forms of toxicity. Including diabetes, obesity, Chinese restaurant syndrome (MSG symptom complex: headache, skin flushing, and sweating), neurotoxic effects and detrimental effects on the reproductive organs.
Try your best to go to restaurants that can offer MSG-free food service to you.
Sodium Benzoate E211
Common examples: Tonic water, soda, soft drinks
Sodium benzoate is a preservative found in carbonated drinks (e.g. tonic water, soda water) and acidic foods like salad dressings, pickles, fruit juices and condiments.
When sodium benzoate combined with artificial food coloring, study found an increase of hyperactivity in
3-year-old children. Higher intake of beverages containing sodium benzoate was also found in association with more symptoms of ADHD in 475 college students.
When combined with vitamin C (ascorbic acid or citric acid E330), sodium benzoate can also be converted into a benzene, a compound that has been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Benzene is a chemical associated with blood cancer.
Carbonated beverages contain the highest concentration of benzene, and diet or sugar-free beverages are even more prone to benzene formation.
Sodium Nitrite E250/251
Common examples: sausage, ham, spam
Sodium nitrite acts as a preservative in processed meat (e.g. sausage) to prevent the growth of bacteria while also
adding a salty flavor and reddish-pink color.
When exposed to high heat and in the presence of amino acids (protein), like when you cook the sausage in barbeque, nitrites can turn into nitrosamine, a compound that is linked to the increased risk of stomach cancer.
Nitrates and nitrites can also interfere with the thyroid, as well as with the blood's ability to deliver oxygen to the body.
Time to change
Food shall not become your god and the source of comfort.
It’s time to go for a cleaner and more natural diet for long lasting health!
Most of the corporates’ goal is earning money instead of your health. It’s time to take up the responsibility to care
for your own health! Learn to read the ingredients on food labelling before making your purchase!
Use wholefoods as snacks in between meals, such as fruits, dried fruits and nuts.
Going on an intermittent fasting on sugar and drinking Green Juice daily can help you regain healthy food cravings and appetite on sugar.
