Well Women guide to Food Additives

Well, they are only ok if they are from a natural source.

Chemicals in our food are often potentially dangerous. They are used without much thought it seems. Here is a breakdown of some of the more common ones.

Colours are also used to make a product more appealing. People tend to choose something like a fruit drink because of the colour.

Some of the most common food colours are:

E100 (Curcumin) This is an orange/yellow food colour obtained from the roots of the turmeric plant and is usually in food like curries and cheese.

E101 (Riboflavin) Also known as vitamin B2. This is an orange/yellow colour food colouring fermented from yeast or made artificially. Usually in vitamin fortified foods like breads and cereals, cheese and sauces.

E102 (Tartrazine)This is a synthetic yellow coloured dye which is no longer widely used due to controversy regarding behavioural disorders in children. Also causes asthma and skin disorders

E160a (Beta Carotene) Orange yellow colouring found in vegetables and plants such as carrots. Can be found in soft drinks, butter and margarine and also in some desserts.

E150a (plain caramel) This is a dark brown colouring and is obtained from heating sugar. The most common food colouring.

E123 (Amaranth) This is a synthetic dark purple colour and is found in jams, ice cream, powdered soups and gravies and instant products. Please click HERE to read a newspaper article about colourings in foods

With so much evidence to suggest that additives are harmful, then why on earth do we continue to consume them?

Research shows that many additives can contribute to and also cause many illnesses including behavioural problems in children.

Additives also disrupt the delicate balance of our endocrine and immune systems.

They can cause cancer when used abundently such as the preservatives used in bacon, cold meats and sausages.

They can disrupt the immune system

Please Click HERE to see more evidence

Emulsifiers and stabilisers

These are added to products containing oil to keep it mixed together and prevent separation. Things like mayonnaise contain emulsifiers to ensure that the product stays mixed together. They are used in many processed foods to prevent the growth of moulds and make a product more visually appealing. Stabilisers stop them separating again. What are they used in?

Biscuits, snacks, breakfast cereals, desserts, drinks, ice cream, chewing gum, bread, low fat spreads and margarine, peanut butter, chocolate coatings and many more.

Flavourings

The two most dangerous food additives are without a doubt, Monsodium Glutamate (MSG) also known as E621 and Aspartame E951, the artificial sweetener and also saccharin. Dr Russell Blaylock, neurosurgeon and author of "Excitotoxins and The Taste that Kills" has been warning us of the dangers of these deadly toxins. Chinese Restaurant “take aways” contain high levels of MSG. So also do some crisps, packet soups stock cubes and other processed foods. They should be avoided at all costs. The effects of MSG has been linked to Lupus, cancer, strokes, chronic hepatits, disorders of the nervous sytem, and neuro degenerative disease and probably many others. Aspartame has been linked to cancer, headaches, migraine and hyperactivity.

It is my own belief and something I have been saying for around 20 years, that chemicals and additives in our food, toiletries, cosmetics and household cleaners are contributing to, if not causing, autoimmune disease, neurological diseases and cancer. If a 20 year old nobody can have this thought, then why can’t doctors and scientists? They are too busy making money out of us to care, both them and our governments. To stop the huge conglomerate that is the cosmetics industry? HaHa!!! They prey on women’s vanity and on our desire and obsession with ourselves so the industry will always be alive.

Flavourings are used generally because the food would taste unacceptable without them. Natural flavourings are also used like natural vanilla, and are extracted from a natural product.

Some flavourings are identical to a natural product but are chemically simulated. Then there are chemical flavours. Sometimes more than 1000 chemical compounds are used to “make” a flavour.

What other artificial flavours are there?

For an Extensive list of E numbers used in our foods and their effects, please click HERE Without further ado, by taking a look at these sites you will understand what I am getting at.

Additives are everywhere in our foods often disguised under other names so as not to draw attention to them. Try to cook your own food as much as possible rather than use convenience meals.

How can I avoid additives?

This is very difficult which makes it all the more alarming.

I tend to read the ingredients on all food labels to check the additives, looking for labels that read: "no artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives"

Look for organic products but read the labels on them too. Sometimes additives are needed but check the source and whether it is a natural source or not.

Things like processed cold meats will all contain artificial additives as they need preservatives to stop them deteriorating and colours to make them visually attractive. High consumption of processed meats that contain sodium nitrite or nitrate can cause pancreatic and stomach cancer and there is evidence to suggest that eating them daily can raise your risk by 67 per cent. They also cause leukemia, Alzheimers disease, osteoporosis and bowel cancer. There is also evidence that consuming higher levels of antioxidants like vitamin C and E before meals can help reduce the risk. However, no vitamin can protect you 100 per cent. Basically it is better to reduce or cut out these products if you want to reduce or eliminate your chances.

Pregnant mothers consuming a lot of processed meats are also increasing risks for the unborn baby and parents should take heed of feeding their children any processed foods such as pizza, hot dogs, sausages, burgers and many more. There are many chemical additives within them as well as high fat and salt content. They have no nutritional value.

More examples are: Salami, bacon, sausages and smoked or cured meat.

Nearly all processed meats are made using sodium nitrite which is carcinogenic.

How can I buy cold meat that is free from these things?

Some products now contain a label that states if a product is nitrite or nitrate free.

Buy organic and read your food labels all the time. Make it part of your shopping routine. Make sure you keep a list of "dangerous" additives and make it your place to avoid them.

Increase fresh organic produce wherever possible. Supermarkets now have a wide range and it looks like they are all going that way. Check out organic farm produce so you know where your meats are coming from. Make sure products are certified organic.

Buy organic free range eggs from a reliable source.

Do NOT eat food from a take away. Stop calling out for pizza's and take away meals which are the most loaded with food additives, hydrogenised oil, fat, salt, sodium nitrite and acrylamides. Research shows that by consuming these regularly, you are increasing your risk of cancer....big time. Also doughnuts which are now thought to be dangerous. Fries, when cooked at high temperatures cause a chemical reaction which is also contributory to cancer. Any fried foods cooked at these high temperatures are dangerous.

To instantly improve your health cut down on:

Refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, white flour, foods cooked at high temperatures, take away and convenience or "fast" foods, processed foods, foods containing sodium nitrite or nitrate, foods high in salt,

It's your health and really it's all up to you. Please read below if you are wondering why organic is best

Please take heed

1. Modified Starch is a term used for starch that has been treated either chemically or physically and used as a thickener and could be genetically modified.

2. Recommended Daily allowances are based on averages so something claiming to give 25 per cent of your vitamin C is for someone who consumes 2000 calories a day. If you eat less than this, it means your actually getting more than 25 per cent.

3. When you buy pro biotic yoghurts, make sure you eat them as soon as possible as the friendly bacteria benefits decrease rapidly.

4. Barn Eggs are not necessarily free range it just means they live in a shed and can move about and have access to water and food perches and nest boxes. Check on the box to ensure they are Free range

5. If something states it is fruit flavoured chances are it is artificially flavoured and contains many additives. Check the labels.

6. When choosing Organic food, make sure it is actually certified by the appropriate association. Soil Association is the regulator for the UK, in Autralia, the Organic Federation of Australia and in the U.S, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture

7. Another way to ensure no animal products are in your food is to look for the label "vegetarian" on products or suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

8. A product stating it is cholesterol free or low cholesterol does not mean it is fat free or low fat. If it contains vegatable oils, it will still contain fat.

9. Check your labels for saturated fat Products containing 5g of saturated fat per 100g are high fat products so a product with 1g will be classed as low fat and healthy.

10. Check your labels as when sugar is listed first, it means it is very high in the product. Products are high in sugar if they contain 10g of sugar per 100g of product. No added sugar does not mean that the product does not contain sugar.

11. Beware of oils that say "light" as they contain no fewer calories than ordinary oil, just that the taste is lighter.

12. Fat is measured in grams so stick to foods that have less than 3grams of fat for every 100 calories per serving.

13. Try to choose foods with 0.1grams of salt per 100g of product.

14. Manufacturers do not have to state how much gluten is in a product so to be sure make sure they have the Food Standards agency "Gluten-Free" label.

15. Beware of products using the word Reduced. Once again check the label to see how much there is of an ingredient per serving.

16. If a food is labelled Healthy it does not mean that it is, and could still contain additives. The food should contain decreased fat, saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol and sugar and contain added vitamins to actually warrant the label "healthy"

17. Be savvy about products. Labelling is often misleading and using terminolgy like "farmhouse" "original" "traditional" "wholesome" as a marketing ploy to make the product sound healthier.

18. Fair Trade is a good choice as it contains far fewer scary nasties and toxins than other product due to guidelines laid down in order to protect human health. So products certified Fair Trade are wise.

20. Low Calorie does not mean healthier. Low Cal drinks contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartmame, and other additives so check the label. Aspartame is a product of genetic engineering so care is needed if you are worried about genetically modified substances.

21. Check the label for GM - Genetically Modified. Buy organic to avoid GM. Whilst a percentage of non organic is permitted in foods labelled organic, it will be stated and GM is definately NOT permitted.

22. Genetically modified ingredients are often used in vitamins, enzymes, food additives, flavourings, processed food and even health supplements.

23. Foods are even permitted to contain 0.9 per cent GM ingredients and can still be labelled GM free in Europe. If you buy organic, these are guaranteed to contain no GM ingredients.

24. Products like honey are the hardest to control as bees could visit a GM crop and then contaminate honey. Buy organic honey where possible to be sure.

25. Buy organic dairy products. This ensures that you are consuming dairy products from animals that are not fed on a GM diet. Dairy products from animals fed on a GM diet do not have to be labelled. Buying organic will ensure that your dairy products are GM free. Scary, Eh?

26. Anything labelled "modified" such as modified starch, is usually GM. 75 per cent of processed foods are though to contain GM ingredients, such as ready meals, bread, biscuits, sausages, pies and chips. Check the label.

27. Use locally produced organic products where possible.

28. In the western world, many crops are now routinely grown using GM seeds. these will show up on a list of ingredients as corn meal, corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose, citric acid, lactic acid and corn oil.

29. Soy is something to be concerned about. Most packaged foods contain Soy showing up in ingredients listings soy flour, soy protein, soy lecithin. 85 per cent of these are GM. Soy can disrupt the endocrine system.

30. Around 22 per cent of cows in the USA are injected with genetically modified bovine growth hormone (rbGH). Bear in mind that if a dairy product is not labelled organic, non GMO or hormone free, chances are it came from a herd injected with rbGH. In Canada and Europe (where it is actually banned) it is thought to have adverse effects on our health.

31. For those of you living in the U.S who want to check whether your food is GM log on to True Food Now which is a site offering sn extensive list of products by brand and informing you as to whether they contain GM ingredients. Whilst in the USA many foods contain GM ingredients, in Europe this is much lower. Whatever country you are in, visit your governments health pages to confirm their policy. Regarding oils in the U.S like cottonseed, soy, corn and canola, unless specified that they are non GMO, they are probably genetically modified, so try changing to olive oil, sunflower oil, flaxseed or hemp oils.

32. Papaya from Hawaii is generally GM due to a virus, so use Paya from Brazil, Mexico or the Caribbean as at present, there are no GM varieties.

33. Bear in mind that while at the moment there is no evidence that GM products affect our health or our environment, there is also no evidence that it does not.

34. The ingredient hydrolysed vegetable protein in things like biscuits and cakes is derived from a GM crop.

35. Buy organic oily fish to avoid high contamination from pesticides and chemicals. The EU has reduced the level of dyes that can be fed to farmed salmon over health concerns. European farmed salmon therefore is probably the safest if you have to eat farmed salmon rather than wild caught.

36. If non organic vegetables are your only option, make sure you wash them diligently or use food grade Hydrogen peroxide to wash them. Vegetables and fruit found to be most contaminated with pesticides are: Apples, peppers, celery, cherries and grapes. Totally immerse in water and dry thoroughly. In watery fruit and vegatbles like watermelon and cucumber, the pesticides are held for longer.

37. It is a shock to know that 447 chemicals are used by non organic farmers and 31,000 tonnes are used every year. These are linked to cancer, parkinsons disease, CFS, foetas abnormalities, decreasing male fertility and many other illnesses, suchb as endocrine disorders and immune system malfunction. Organic really is the best option. Organic farmers are only permitted to use 4 substances - sulphur, soft soap, copper and rotenone The latter two substances are "restricted" so farmers have to prove there is no alternative before using.

38. If you think it is just fruit and vegetables that contain pesticides, think again. High residues have been found in bread, flour and potatoes. Buying organic dramatically reduces these residues but even so, traces are still found.

39. The least contaminated fruits in the UK are: star fruit, plums, peaches, kiwi fruit and passion fruit and pomegrantes.

40. An apple has been sprayed as much as 18 times with many chemicals. If you buy non organic apples, in addition to washing, make sure you peel them as pesticides are mainly on the skin.

41. Animals in the Uk are still routinely fed with anti-biotics in their daily feed. This contributes towards anti biotic resitance in humans, so eat organic meat as this is the only way to be sure you are not taking anti biotics along with them!!

42. Eggs are just as likely to be contaminated as everything else. Once again, buy organic.

43. Enrofloxacin has been banned in the USA as it causes resistance to the anti biotic Ciprofloxacin. It is still used in the drinking water of chickens and turkeys in the UK on non organic farms. Think organic.

44. Whilst broccoli, asparagus avocados and bananas have found to be the least contamined worldwide, it is still best to wash them before eating or safer still, choose organic, but still wash them in case of residue.

45. Remember that over the counter vitamins and minerals are also synthetic and made in a laboratory. They will not benefit your body which finds it hard to synthesis them and evidence shows that they can aggravate some conditions are even speed the onset of some illnesses like cancer. The body can only recognise and use natural vitamins so bear this in mind next time you head off to your large chemist to stock up.

Yes, things really are this bad. Is it any wonder we are all ill?

We need to simplify our diets to stay well and avoid additives. Cook more of our own meals instead of using ready meals and convenienvce foods. Eat raw where possible such as raw fruit vegetables and salads from organic sources.

Check labels all the time for additives and if you are not sure of an ingredient, don't buy it.

Pot noodles are mainly artificial ingredients. Most packaged food and things not in the fridge but on the shelves in packets and cans that claim to be a meal, will have many additives. How else can they keep them fresh? Squash drinks are mainly additives with nothing beneficial at all. We give them to our kids and wonder why they they are "hyper" Why not give them diluted pure fruit juice or water when they are thirsty? Squash drinks and fizzy drinks are also addictive as their sugar content is often high. Low sugar drinks usually contain additives like aspartame and or saccharin.

If you live on food like this, then you can only expect to be ill. The body could not survive on a diet of artificial additives with no real nourishment.

Watch programmes like fussy eaters. Basically they are not being fussy at all if they can survive on diets of just chips, or just sweets and biscuits. They are abusing their bodies.

Please Click HERE to read about how to detox your system and rid yourself of toxins

Please Click HERE to read about Household Chemicals and their Hazards
Please Click HERE to read about chemicals in beauty products
Please Click HERE to read do's and don'ts of the immune system
Please Click HERE to see books about food additives
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