WHY THERE ARE HIDDEN HARMFUL CHEMICALS IN OUR FOOD 2
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In the first article, I mentioned that certain harmful substances are present in our food in the form of food preservatives, food additives and food contaminants. The reason for this awareness about food is to help the rate at which people, consume chemicals in food. There is a toxic level for each food substance, this means there is a level to which we can consume some chemicals, before it begins to affect our body system negatively. Since we can not always check toxic levels, we can learn about some chemicals in foods and reduce our intake of such food substances or avoid them. Lets read more about other food additives, below are some other food additives present in food :
ANTI-CAKING AGENTS
These are substances or chemicals added to food to prevent lumps in them. You know how you can easily get pissed if you notice your salt, flour or any powdery food substance caking after a while, so anti- caking agents is the chemical remedy for this. There are two types of anti-caking agents, artificial and natural anticaking agents. An example of a natural anti- caking agent is kaolin (E559). However, most anti-caking agents are made from synthetic substances such as silicon dioxide or magnesium and calcium stearates . For instance, Calcium silicate (CaSiO3), is a common anti-caking agent which is added to table salt to of course prevent it from lumps. So in essence, packaged salts and some other powdery food substances may not necessarily be from natural sources only. Some anti-caking agents are however harmful in large doses.
E515(potassium sulphate) an anti-caking agent used in beer, pharmaceuticals and salt substitutes is known to cause gastrointestinal bleeding, in large doses.
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EMULSIFIERS
Food emulsifiers are substances that act as an interface between components of food like water and oil. During food manufacturing, parts of food have to mix without separation, parts of food especially oil, fat and water, this is why emulsifiers are used. Some examples of emulsifiers are Egg Yolk, lecithin, Soy lecithin, PolyGlycerol Ester (PGE), Sorbitan Ester (SOE), Monoglyceride (MG), Acetylated Monoglyceride (AMG) Lactylated Monoglyceride (LMG).
Emulsifiers found in a variety of processed foods in large quantities can damage the intestine, leading to inflammation or tissue damage.
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HUMECTANTS
Humectants are food additives that act as moisturizers by attracting water into a food product. They are often used to prevent food substances from drying out. Sorbitol and citric acid synthesized from dextrose are often used as humectants.
However if more than 15 grams per serving is consumed, side effects which includes abdominal cramping, diarrhea or abdominal bloating may occur. You see why you need to reduce taking soda and nutrition bars?
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STABILIZERS
Stabilizers are food additives that help food substances retain their physical characteristics when added to food. When added to food items, they smoothen the texture of the food & give a definite body to the food. Food stabilizers are added in relatively small amount which supports the effect of emulsifiers by holding together ingredients bound by emulsifiers. Examples include Alginic acid,Carrageenan,gelatin,Pectin or calcium chloride are also used as food stabilizers in dairy products.
Side effects however, result from large doses, they include flatulence, bloating and nausea.
Stabilizers can also be present as gluten in the body. Gluten is wheat protein and wheat protein is known to be responsible for negative effects and intolerance in the health of most people.
Nutrient-drug interactions also occur in consumers of gluten stabilizers using drugs such as anticoagulants, anti biotics and anti-hypertensive drugs. So always confirm with your doctor before using drugs, sometimes what is contained in your diet may interfere with your drugs.
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ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS FOR EXAMPLE ASPARTAME AND SACCHARIN.
These sweetners are usually found in sugar free products but their side effects are worse than that of sugar.
They are regarded as carcinogens. carcinogens mean that they can lead to cancer.They are neurotoxic as well, this means that they can affect the memory, cause short term loss or total loss of memory .They are found in sugar-free gum, table top sweetners, some toothpaste. Saccharins have been banned and campaigned against over the years.
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MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE
This is a rather common food additive which is dangerous to the health as well,it is an amino acid used to enhance and increase flavours especially in the production of spices. Regular consumption of this may however result in eye problems, weight gain or even depression . This additive is found in seasonings all over the world and food spices.
Headache, numbness, chest pain and sweating may be experienced after eating foods containing MSG in large doses.
It is therefore best to know what foods contain MSG so you can reduce your exposure. Same goes for other food additives.
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CARAMEL
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This is a coloring agent and can be sourced by heating sugar at high temperature for a while. Caramel sounds harmless but unfortunately It has been linked to vitamin b6 deficiencies and is linked even to cancer. Caramel is found in chocolates,biscuits and even candies.
Truly some of these chemicals and additives mentioned above can be beneficial, but have you weighed in on how much hidden and slow damages this is causing at the same time? You may not be told this by manufacturing companies, but it is rather essential that you know what the food substance you are ingesting contains and if you can, reduce your daily intake of packaged foods or canned food substances.
Another avenue harmful substances can get into food is through food contaminants.Yes, food sometimes gets contaminated through its journey from farm to fork.
WHAT ARE FOOD CONTAMINANTS?
Food contaminants are substances which most times accidentally find their way into food products. It could be from the farm, while raw materials are transported,during processing, or while finished products are transported. Contaminants can be from the soil or car exhausts which contains carbon or metals.
Herbicides and pesticides are also contamination sources. People can be exposed to metals such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, or lead by ingesting contaminated food and its accumulation in the body over time can be harmful.
Food poisoning is a repercussion of food contaminants, it is a case that can be caused by eating food or drinks contaminated with harmful bacteria or eating food contaminated with chemicals called toxins.
Food poisoning can also occur either by ingesting contaminants as mentioned above or by ingesting chemical toxins. Examples of such toxin is afflatoxins found in grains.
You know you have ingested contaminants if after eating you begin to feel stomach upset, nauseated , fever and the urge to vomit.
Although, food manufacturing industries however try to avoid contaminants by using different safety measures such as, metal detectors, grain destoners, afflatoxins detectors and so on but sometimes, marketing conditions or the conditions in which food products are stored are favorable for the infestation of contaminants.
The worst part is that, you may never be able to tell that a food product is contaminated until you have opened it or even ingested it. We have to be vigilant with food and be label aware. Harmful substances in foods may not come as harmful, some come as normal ingredients and as part of the food. Some contaminants can not be seen with the physical eyes. It is important to be aware of the components of foods before we consume it, if there are particular parts of the ingredient label we do not understand or are not sure of we should avoid such food.
I'm personally a picky eater and I like to know what is in a food substance before I eat it, my friends think I'm weird when I sometimes inspect food, but in a way weird is good.
Other substances which are secretly harmful are added to our foods in a bid to improve its quality,they will be mentioned in my next article. Remember to always check the ingredient label and eat safe!
Authored by: @ponmile
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Thank you!
This is fantastic as you have highlighted all important additives to look in our food. In my locality potato snacks are being marketed heavily and all of them have anti caking agents so I am looking to make an article on it to create awareness.
AJ picked your post @adsactly for his #TOP5 FOOD POST. Visit AJ's FOOD ROUNDUP to view where your post is ranked.
The amount of harmful chemicals in our food is shocking! Food manufacturing companies are not stupid, they have highly educated people working for them, so it begs the question... are they doing it intentionally? I think the main goal is to cut costs, preserve food so they don't have to throw it away, make it more attractive, taste better and make it more addictive! So bottom line is, as always, money!
Thank u very much about this rich content
I agree! Always important to take this into account before purchasing foods that you will eventually ingest into your body.
There are many food additives that are terribly bad for us. Here is another one, I think worth mentioning: www.thedailymeal.com/news/common-foods-and-drinks.../103014 This lists some foods with Propylene Glycol. It's shocking that Anti Freeze is now added to some baked goods, and even in Beneful Dog Food. It's not in Cat Food as it is highly toxic to cats. Years ago, we had a Vietnamese friend who came out camping. He made a Fish Head Soup. Fish Heads, red peppers, a few good spices etc. It was just delicious!
A few years later, another Vietnamese friend came out camping. We asked him to make a fish head soup. He was in the process of making the soup, and started off the same way as our other friend. Then, he pulled a bag out and started to pour this crystal from a bag into the soup. We asked him what THAT was and he said, 'Oh, just some MSG.' We told him to stop, and that we wouldn't be eating that soup. We ended up burning the whole pot of soup. We found this unbelievable! We really need to read ALL labels when buying packaged food. But, best not to buy packaged food. It really is all Chemicals!
I think it is so important to create this awareness. The majority of us are not taking the time to truly educate ourselves about the foods we eat. We are a society of people looking for quick meals and convenient foods. Many of hear foods are highly processed and full of all the stuff you’re talking about here. Even those of us who think we are very aware and careful are often guilty of not truly knowing what a “bad” or “harmful” ingredient looks like. To top it all off we are feeding these food to our children at a higher rate. The statement about how our bodies are able to consume a certain amount of these chemicals until they become harmful is alarming. The fact that good producers or regulators feel that there is a tolerance level on things that quite frankly have no place in our foods at all blows me away. I know that I myself need to do a better job. Articles like this are a great step in the right direction. Education and then action.
You are right..sometimes we think we know but we don't know
This is a great post @adsactly! It's a great wake-up for me about the importance of really knowing what exactly our food contains. I grew up in a country town in the 70's: We had chickens and an extensive vegetable garden. My mum bought flour and made our bread and we ate reasonably healthily. As kids we weren't even allowed to drink Coke a Cola. Not only did we eat healthily we bonded as a family whilst feeding chickens and planting, tending or harvesting our garden. It was a good life and a fantastic upbringing. I can't complain.
Fast forward and life gets busy so we're all out there eating on the run and consuming who knows what!
I'm diabetic and so carefully watch my sugar and carbohydrate intake however my understanding of other food additives as mentioned in your post is sadly lacking. I write to thank you for your post and for bringing me some heightened awareness. Greatly appreciated.
Packaged foods are already nothing but poison. I can't really understand why people are still consuming these, are they ever reading the INGREDIENTS section?... The real problem we have here is these greedy corporations are poisoning the soil itself where anything we eat and drink comes from. We, unfortunately, live on a planet where Monsanto is the good guy, where a man who genetically modified the wheat (thus skyrocketed diseases like diabetes) receives a Nobel Prize for his efforts (which is alone enough to not take The Nobel Committee seriously). Sad.
Good job. I like the fact that you continue to inform readers about the composition of many food products. Some people do not think that they can eat dangerous food for their health. Therefore, I will not stop talking - "Warned - it means armed"
How to say that any product is useful if you have it right. That is, you need to observe the measure of consumption of any food. Even ordinary water can harm the body if you drink a lot of it.
Therefore, it is so important to know about the composition of the products we face every day. After all, your ignorance in the future can play with you a cruel joke.
But the minus of products with preservatives and harmful additives is that they are cheap. That is, these "chemical" products are cheaper than natural. What are the consequences of this? The consequences are that they are bought by the poor. So these people are exposed to the risks of various diseases. Unfortunately the truth is as follows.
Therefore, one of the advantages of living in rural areas can be called - the possibility of brewing natural agricultural products. I think that every year the population of the planet increases. Therefore, "chemistry" in food will increasingly become the norm.
To grow food faster - manufacturers constantly use various harmful fertilizers. And they affect the product in a negative way.
Conclusion - own information and eat "clean" products. Be healthy.
Yes living in the rural area has its advantages.....fresh food :)
Thanks for your addition
As much as possible we must avoid eating this kind of food or else we will end up having Urinary Track Infection (UTI) which leads to dialysis (worst case). 😔
That is why is best to eat all natural foods and of course get in habit on eating ur veggies :))
Chemicals is here and there...
I have a simple rule that if any food has got preservatives it most ceratinly is not good for you so eat natural grown things directly and avoid junk food!
I certainly agree with you on this one,i have never been a fan of can foods
I certainly agree with you on this one,i have never been a fan of can foods
Thanks man you're doing a great job :)
great post big brother
how can i join with your server in discord let me know
Yes. There are so many dangerous stuff all around. But other chemicals are waiting for our children and they can be found from the toys.
I also concern it deeply. Many thanks.
That what make the food tasty and sometimes addictive. And that's why some of delicious food might actually kill you
This article while informative is very discouraging to people who rely on supermarkets and restaurants for the bulk of their food consumption, basically every processed prepackaged food item with an ingredient list printed on it is not only misleading but can be potentially hazardous to human health. What is the alternative? Grow your own food? Make everything from scratch? Eat weeds?
Helpful rule of thumb. . . if the food you're buying has nutrition information or an ingredient list on the packaging, it's not healthy ;-P There are exceptions of course (yogurt, etc), but fresh meat, eggs, fruit, and vegetables don't need labels. . . even our great-great-grandparents would still recognize that as food.
Thank u for this onederful information that brought the awareness of somevof this harmful chemicals used in manufacturing these product,, now i realise how we fall ill sometimes do to thses chemicals .......thank u so much @@@@@@@@adsactly
Great post
Very informative @adsactly. In short, it’s called chemical biases and scientists have worked for it to make us addictive. Addiction means sales and sales means $$$.
Man, it is getting so hard to eat healthy nowadays. Everything comes packed with a ton of harmful shit.
You just read my fukin mind, I was about to write almost the exact same sentence 😂😂.
You know what they say. Great minds alike. :D :D
Exactly..eating healthy is somewhat hardwork..
Thanks for sharing this article...
Now a days its very difficult to eat clean.Brands promote their stuff in such a way that people start following them without investigating.
We can use natural products like fresh vegetables ,meat and fruits and avoid unhealthy processed food if we want a long healthy life.
It's impractical for anyone to describe preferred standpoint of steemit/steem more than you...always feel impelled in the wake of scrutinizing your post ...Thanks for sharing sir
About to make a protein shake...
its has gotten to a stage whereby I am afraid to eat anything just because I am afraid of contamination especially in this part of the world
Thank you sharing for information
Thank you for this well written post. I am on the same page as you are on this. I read the ingredients on everything that I am thinking about eating. It is so hard to avoid the chemicals. But we must make every attempt and demand changes from the food industry.
I got hit by your mention of caramel and that is one of my temptations. A little caramel with some chocolate. We have to be strong.
Ok lets get that green smoothie.
Thanks for this info. I will stop eating a lot of junk foods. :)
how to know that inside the food contains harmful chemicals?
This is kind of scary... makes me not want to eat any of it.. thanks for sharing it has really opened my eyes... makes me want to be healthier. does anyone have any tips as to what i should be eating instead? :)
Eat more fresh food... Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, less junks, less canned foods...
good job friend
happy to work because success can be achieved by trying
i think you sharing good tips for us about food... i also think that it is an informative post... i waiting for your next post....
nice food sir
good food products.
sir please upvote me.
Unfortunately....we take these market foods very often without knowing about their prepration and chemicals they contain......last time some noodles tested postive for the presence of lead in it which is carcinogenic, but people still use it even after knwing the fact.
...you have taken an amazing step to aware people about the presence of harmful chemicals used in packed foods.....thankyou
Thank you for this wonderful addition
Thank you for valuable information. I am very careful about all the additives, especially sweeteners. I think there is a lot of bad stuff in processed meat, too. The research results in the UK confirm this, which can be checked on cancer related websites.
Absolutly agree with you, we should care especially for our kids, ofcrouse hideen to make more sales and you cant notice while you eat that , very important post wish to see more from you
Very interesting blog sir
@upvoted
The harmful effects of food preservatives might be well beyond imagination. In fact, the side-effects of food preservatives range from weight gain to chronic heart and brain diseases
thanks for such a quality post
Exactly...thanks for the addition
absolutely why food producers are using such harmful chemical which have adverse effects on health such as thickening agents and preservatives etc they should stop these harmful chemicals because they are increasing food shelf life but decreasing human health @adsactly
Thank you for the information.
so scrry
we should avoid junk food as much as we can
Thanks for this enlightening post, I guess most companies have sacrificed their safety responsibility to the public on the altar of profit-making
Yes...some of them do not have a choice..money must be made..
Wow, a very interesting read, thanks! I am also very careful about what I eat, I don't eat almost any packaged food, but your post still made me think about some of the food choices I make. I'll be more careful to read the labels of everything I buy
@adsactly. As I read this informative and comprehensive post,I wonder can anyone be ever cautious of not getting to eat too much of these food preservatives,contaminants and toxins.
It will be pretty difficult to be wary of food that we eat everyday.Most times these food harmful chemical makes the food so sweet that we take too much and consequently,we take too much of these harmful chemical.
Anyways,thanks a lot for writing this post.Thumbs up to@adsactly.
It's a common dangerous truth that we are not taking food, we just taking poison, harmful chemical.
Nothing to do without public awareness.
Really there are harmful chemicals in our food especially found in processed foods and fast food.Our grandparents (those in the villages) are the ones that enjoyed fresh food without any chemicals attached to it.Thanks for sharing,we all should be careful with our food intake.
your right , thank you for this tremendous post