Unhealthy Food Ingredients You Need To Be On The Lookout For

The following are food ingredients that are considered unhealthy. They are known to cause a lot of health issues such as heart disease, and cancers. These ingredients or chemicals are commonly found in many unhealthy processed foods, so be sure to read nutritional labels before deciding to buy any product. Make sure that the food you buy does not contain any of these nasty chemicals.

Artificial Flavoring:

Artificial flavors are generally chemically conceived creations that are used to enhance the flavor of a food product.

These lab creations have been found to cause a variety of problems such as allergic reactions, exacerbation of asthma, digestive issues, and vomiting for certain people. Some individuals have also claimed that artificial flavors and colors can worsen the symptoms of ADHD.

The causes of the health complications from many of these additives is still relatively unknown, although there has been an observable increase in complications with children who are sensitive to them, indicating there is most likely some unknown negative triggers in them.

Sodium Nitrites and Nitrates:

Nitrates and nitrites have similar functions, to keep meat from changing color early, but they vary in their chemical structure and effects. Both are naturally occurring but are commonly added to many processed meats.

For areas that have found nitrates in their drinking water, they’ve experienced methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder. Nitrates and nitrites can cause cancer, a point we’ll get to later on.

Many frame them for causing cancer since they’re commonly found in processed meats, a food that is known to cause cancer, but many are unsure of if sodium nitrites and nitrates are the culprit. Also, they’ve been found to be converted into nitric oxide when ingested, which can help lower blood pressure. And they’re confirmed to increase the performance results of athletes. So far, they probably seem healthy, which they can be. However, when subjected to high heat, they form nitrosamines, which are some of the most dangerous carcinogens, up there with smoking. So, you should purchase nitrate free meats whenever possible, since cooking them can expose you to these carcinogens.

Artificial Colors:

We mentioned artificial coloring when talking about artificial flavors, because similar issues are observed in both of these food additives.

The three most commonly used colors are yellow 5, yellow 6, and red 40. These colorings have been shown to contain carcinogenic compounds and children are especially vulnerable to sensitivities of food coloring. These sensitivities include allergies, mood changes, learning difficulties, and hyperactivity. Many studies have shown children who consume more artificial coloring score worse on tests than their counterparts. They also pose other health issues for all people such as unnecessary calories and fat. Overall, artificial food coloring has a lot of negatives and very few to no positives.

Enriched White Flour:

Enriched or refined white flour is flour that only contains the carb-heavy starchy part of the whole grain.

Of the three parts of a whole grain, this part contains the least nutritional value and may actually have negative health impacts. These negative health impacts are weight gain, caused by an increase in body fat and raised cholesterol.

It can also lead to high blood sugar and diabetes since they can negatively impact blood glucose levels. Other negative impacts include heart problems, inflammation, digestive issues, and an increased risk of cancer from an increase in insulin receptors. Furthermore, enriched white flour has a high gluten content.

Propyl Gallate:

Propyl gallate is an antioxidant that is contained in many cosmetics and foods. Its inability to mix with the oil in food makes it a good preservative. It has been shown to cause stomach complications and skin irritability, negative allergic reactions, and difficulty breathing. It is commonly used with BHA and BHT, mentioned earlier.

Sulfites:

Sulfites are found many beverages and have been found to increase asthmatic symptoms and can cause headaches. Sulfites are a preservative that is also a byproduct of fermentation, making them commonly found in wine. To avoid this, purchase wines that are organic or made with organic grapes.