Be On The Lookout for These Ingredients!

By Laura Chervenak

I admit it. I am obsessed with reading ingredient labels when shopping for food. That's because I’ve discovered there are ingredients that are added to foods that may seem healthy and innocent-sounding, but are often unhealthy, even toxic. Below is a list of the ingredients I try to avoid:

High-Fructose Corn Syrup
This ingredient is practically listed in any type of food imaginable. It is cheap to produce, and even cheaper to use, which is why manufacturers choose it over sugar. This ingredient is linked to obesity as it contains more fructose than real sugar and converts to fat more easily. Not only can it cause inflammation of our vital organs and aging, but it is the number one source of calories for most Americans. Take a look in your pantry and I think you will be surprised at the number of food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup. This is definitely an ingredient to be on the alert for!

Enriched Flour and Bleached Flour
When a bread product you are buying has “Enriched Flour” or “Bleached Flour” on the label this means that most of the fiber and nutrients that are naturally found in wheat flour were removed. After the removal process is complete, they may add a little bit of those nutrients back into the product that they took out so they can call it “enriched flour.” Either way, the end product becomes a simple, as opposed to the complex carbohydrate it should be. It is less nutritious and passes through your digestive system more quickly meaning you will be hungrier sooner, and which can result in a surge in insulin levels.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is used in many foods as a flavor enhancer and to make foods taste better. It is often used in Chinese Foods is found in sauces, mixes, and potato chips. It’s hard to spot MSG on an ingredients listing because it can be hidden in ingredients such as yeast extract, autolyzed vegetable protein, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Many people can have adverse reactions to MSG, such as headaches and rapid heart rate. Some of the more serious affects can include nerve damage, long-term neurological damage, reproductive disorders, reduced fertility, and may even could be a contributor to diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. In some research is has even destroyed brain cells in mice!

Aspartame/Sweet ‘n’ Low/Equal/Splenda
All are these are artificial/ chemical sweeteners that are supposed to be a replacement for real sugar. Similar to high fructose corn syrup, most of these are found in large variety of foods, especially aspartame. There is concern that these artificial products can cancer or neurological problems, weight gain, and cravings. Aspartame poisoning actually mimics symptoms of MS.  If you are looking for something to sweeten foods and beverages that is often recommended by natural/alternative practitioners, try stevia.  Honey may be another good choice as it also offers many healing and nutritional benefits.

Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite
Sodium Nitrates are compounds that are added to packaged meats to give them more of a red-colored hue making them look fresher and more appealing when the natural color is normally a dull, grayish color. Because of the word sodium in the name you might think this additive is a typical salt derivative, but it is actually considered to be carcinogenic. Sodium nitrite reacts with stomach acid and other chemicals in the stomach to produce nitrosamines, which have been shown to cause cancer in animals when consumed in large quantities.  They have been connected to brain tumors, leukemia, and cancers of the digestive tract. These additives are prevalent in hot dogs and packaged lunch meat, but check labels carefully as many products now contain nitrates/nitrites.

Carmine
Carmine, also known as cochineal,is sometimes referred to as “natural food color” but if you knew what it really is I am not sure you would want to eat it!  Carmine is a paste that is made from dried and ground dead husks of female red beetles from the Canary Islands. It is then imported to the United States and is added to foods and beverages (and some cosmetics!) to give it a nice pink color. Examples of foods that might have carmine would be strawberry yogurt, pink grapefruit juice, and pink colored candy. It seems a bit dishonest for manufacturers to try to disguise the truth about this ingredient!

When reading labels it is important to remember that ingredients are listed in the order in which they are most prevalent. If you are reading a label and don't recognize the word and/or it is something you can’t pronounce, it may well be an artificial or chemical ingredient.  Better health is worth the time it takes to read labels and to learn more about the “hidden ingredients” in the food you eat!

Laura Chervenak is associate Editor of Heal With Hope, working with her mother, Andrea, to bring you ideas and inspiration for healing and health of the body, mind, and spirit. She is an avid fitness buff, a student of natural health, and is currently training to run her first marathon. 

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