12 Food Additives to Avoid

Scan the ingredient list and take a pass on these.
Sweeteners (© Tetra Images/Tetra Images/Getty Images)
Aspartame
Aspartame, also known by the brand names Nutrasweet and Equal, is an additive found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gelatins, drink mixes and soft drinks. It also comes in individual packages used in place of sugar as a sweetener. The safety of aspartame, a combination of two amino acids and methanol, has been the focus of hundreds of scientific studies. Conclusions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, the ADA, and the Food and Agriculture Organization indicated that the additive is safe. Conversely, the Center for Science in the Public Interest gave it their lowest ranking in a review of food additives, quoting animal studies in 1970 and in 2007, which suggest that there is a link between aspartame and cancer. Gerbstadt, spokesperson from the ADA—an organization that supports the general safety of aspartame—says that the additive might be unhealthy for some people—especially those with the disease phenylketonuria, an enzyme disorder—because it contains phenalalanine. "Some people may be sensitive to it, and it's easy to avoid," she says.
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Sunday, November 08, 2009 11:46:38 PM

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Friday, November 06, 2009 12:49:18 PM
Well said.  Common sense and moderation, people, that's the key!
Friday, November 06, 2009 4:06:46 AM
Holy Cow, just chill everybody. This is just a post about food. If you don't agree with the content, maybe you should get your own free blog and vent. I never knew there could be such disagreement about additives and ingredients. You have to use common sense and make your own choices. If you got all your information from pseudo helpful websites, you would never know which way was up. The key is MODERATION!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 9:25:50 AM

In reply to "ZittyZok"

 

1. Nitrates have been PROVEN to be harmful. You'll find Nitrates in red meats mostly. You do not even need red meats to have a healthy lifestyle. The problem is, Nitrate is used as fertilizer so you will ingest this harmful compound even when consuming leafy greens.

 

2. Better safe than sorry. Wouldn't you feel really stupid when 20 years later, an new study shows it to be harmful?

 

3. You forgot to add number 3, probably because you couldn't think of another strawman argument to fit this one.

 

4. There's no such thing as "magic". Unless you're from "pixie-land", which you apparently are. MSG has been proven to kill neurons, and I steer clear from it because it causes headaches. According to you, that does not matter, since clearly, good taste is more important than good health.

 

5. Good job ommitting five, for the same reason you ommitted 3: you could not think of anything to argue with.

 

6. Aspartame as a health food? Get the f*ck out. You need to seriously consider researching more. Aspartame has been linked to cancer and neural damage, if you don't know what that is, it means that it kills your brain cells. I can think of absolutely no health, mineral or vitamin benefits from eating aspartame. Aspartame is simply a compound that has a sweet taste. Yes, it is a replacement for sugar, but you don't need sugar in a healthy diet in the first place!

 

7. Yeah, its all one big conspiracy, right? Why would the FDA want to inform the public about anything! They should just legalize every random scientific experiment that farts out of a chemist's ass, and let us consume it!

 

8. Yeah, Blue 5 does have a few medical uses. But then again, is it healthy to eat Tylenol for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also has many negative side effects, JUST LIKE ALL OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS. And there are lots of pills that can perform much better than what Blue 5 can do. So, are you going to take Blue 5, because it can do one thing, but has lots of harmful side effects, or actually take a pill that is actually designed to do what Blue 5 can do, and has much less side effects than Blue 5.

 

9. You skipped 9 and 10. Can't say I'm suprised.

 

11. Yeah I agree with you there, both are bad.

 

12. I heard salt causes cancer. Is it true? I have no idea. I don't pour salt over everything, but I don't really pay attention to it one way or other. I do know that salt makes you thirsty, and drinking lots of water is healthy, and cleanses out your whole body. Not tap water though. Tap water is loaded with chlorine, and lots of other crap that the chlorine wasn't able to pacify. Do you really want to drink sewage? Bottled water isn't much better. Its not a bad idea to invest in a filter.

 

It is quite Possible to Avoid all These (and Not Starve.) I assure you, it May be Difficult, but it is quite Possible.

Friday, October 30, 2009 7:59:15 AM
I have become an avid label reader.  Even if I miss half of the bad stuff, I am still better off.
Friday, October 30, 2009 4:42:00 AM
So many jackasses posting on this. You literally have to retarded to not realize that almost everything on this list is from heavily processed food.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 7:50:51 AM

Problem is ... if you avoid all of these (which is Not Possible) you would of course Starve

 

Hell .. lets just commit suicide on the day were born and avoid that aggravation i guess

Monday, October 19, 2009 6:44:21 AM
Even the most straightforward food is not straightforward anymore. But I think some are affecting their health by worrying too much about every little thing they eat. Sometimes, you gotta enjoy life a little.

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Saturday, October 10, 2009 1:35:00 PM

Most people do not care what additives are in their food, who can really tell what is in there anyways?

 

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