Stop It! Avoid Toxic Food Additives

by | Mar 9, 2017 | Blog, Feature, Nutrition | 0 comments

Toxic: containing or being poisonous… capable of causing death or serious debilitation Merriam Webster Dictionary  Introduction Developing personal health and vitality starts by eliminating toxins and hazardous chemicals from our diet. According to The Oxford Journals – British Medical Bulletin “Several thousand different chemicals are added to processed food… for a significant number their use is ethically problematical.” The Cost of Convenience The vast majority of packaged foods are processed to enhance profitability. This involves adding preservatives to extend shelf life, coloured dyes to make products look fresher or more appealing, emulsifiers to enhance texture, and flavourings to appeal to the pallet. Unfortunately for the consumer, some additives may “cause acute intolerance or allergic reactions, or significantly increase risks of serious long-term harms, such as cancer.” The Atlas of Food – Food Additives The article further cites xenobiotics as the greatest concern – substances not normally produced or present in the human body. Some toxins are specifically called “carcinogens.” They are known cancer causing agents. A Stark Contrast –  The first list are all industrialized countries, the second non-industrialized. The highest cancer rates:
  1. Denmark
  2. France
  3. Australia
  4. Belgium
  5. Norway
  6. United States
  7. Ireland
  8. South Korea
  9. Netherlands
  10. Slovenia
The lowest cancer rates:
  1. Niger
  2. Gambia
  3. Cape Verde
  4. Bhutan
  5. Yemen
  6. Oman
  7. Namibia
  8. Guinea-Bissau
  9. Nepal
  10. Mauritania
WHO Mortality Database Along with the risk of various cancers, xenobiotic chemicals and food processing are also implicated in autoimmune diseases: type 1 diabetes, celiac, lupus, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune hepatitis, Crohn’s, allergies and asthma, among many others that cause the body to attack its own tissues. As brilliant as the immune system is, it can become stressed or overwhelmed. The human immune system is designed to harmonize with the natural environment and neutralize invading pathogens – bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic – that enter the body. It was not designed for perpetual exposure to, and consumption of toxins. A recent study published in Autoimmunity Reviews focused on seven types of commonly used additives that raise the risk of autoimmune disease: processed sugars, “table” salt, emulsifiers, solvents, gluten, microbial transglutaminase (aka meat glue), and nanometric particles (anti-microbial food preservation). This research was led by Prof. Aaron Lerner, of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Faculty of Medicine and Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, and Dr. Torsten Matthias of the Aesku-Kipp Institute in Germany. Dr Lerner summarizes, “We hope this study and similar studies increases awareness about the dangers inherent in industrial food additives, and raises awareness about the need for control over them.” Ten of the Worst Food Ingredients (for a start) http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/3101043  Reality Check As always it remains, caveat semper – “buyer beware.” We are ultimately responsible for our own health and that of our children. The USDA estimates global food retail sales at about $4 trillion annually, with supermarkets and hypermarkets accounting for the largest share of sales. Even with government regulatory agencies, consumer watch dogs and investigative journalists, it is impossible to maintain safety standards on the profit driven stampede of consumer food products, when the bottom line is the bottom line. Dante lists greed among the seven deadly sins and St Paul says “the love of money, is the root of every kind of evil.”

Pandora trying to close the box that she had opened… At left, the evils of the world taunt her as they escape, leaving only “Hope” inside once she had closed it.

Solution Stop it! As much as is practically possible, stop consuming these unpronounceable toxic additives. It really isn’t that difficult, but it does demand some elevated awareness. For most, it means a shift in lifestyle habits:
  • Read labels and don’t purchase anything with unidentifiable ingredients
  • Eat real food – timeless, traditional food options
  • Buy organic whenever possible
  • Get creative with food sourcing and preparation
  • Lower convenience to it’s proper perspective
Priorities In the western world, we live in a time of culinary extravagance, where seasonal produce abounds and exotic foods and spices from every corner of the world are available. Make eating a celebration, and share the experience as often as possible In order of health priorities, detoxifying your diet comes before the gym membership, before joining the running club and before the yoga classes. After all, sculpting muscles or a runners high aren’t of any value if your cells are mutating! _______
  • Millstone  E, Lang  T . The Atlas of Food. 2nd edn. London: Earthscan; 2008. Food additives; p. 90 –

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