9 Ingredients to avoid in processed foods

[chusteczka]

The following article includes a list of 9 ingredients to avoid in processed foods. These are the exact ingredients I have been avoiding for over ten years now. The information is common sense for me but it is understandable that some people have not been introduced to the concept of thinking about the chemicals in the foods they eat.

If you have not done so yet, read the article and familiarize yourself with the harmful ingredients. Then read through the ingredients of your favorite foods the next time you go grocery shopping. If you take this seriously, you will be amazed at the amount of chemicals in your food. Once you find food without these chemicals, like cookies for example, compare the taste of the chemical-free food with same type of food with such harmful chemicals. You may realize a new-found enjoyment of the chemical-free food.

9 Ingredients to avoid in processed foods

• Artificial Colors
• Artificial Flavorings
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Benzoate Preservatives
• Brominated Vegetable Oil
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• MSG
• Olestra
• Shortening, Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils

I expect this post will provoke a few trolls to call me a dumbass but such lonely souls are not within my intended audience. This post is for those who care about their health and the food they eat, with a mind open to new ways of looking at their world.

 

[Matthiasa]

Lol good luck eating in modern society without getting any of that.

On a side note MSG is mostly a placebo effect. When tested people got the symptoms and said the food contained it, when they were actually in the group that didn't get it.
Oh and artificial colors are a tad be safer now they they use to be.
Artificial flavors are also harmless, can be even be produced even in a high school chemistry class...

That looks more like a list to scare people then anything.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

That list has ingredients that are included in 99.99% of all processed food, about half of which there is no real evidence to prove that they are harmful.

Cue the debate.

 

[pyonir]

This post is for those who care about their health and the food they eat

Then you should have posted it here: http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52

 

[eldorado99]

But those are in all the best foods!

 

[Taejin]

everything is a 'chemical'

certain products like msg, partially hydrogenated oils etc are found in natural ingredients everywhere.

also, the indictment of artificial sweeteners is bunk. the studies of aspartame that include 'cancer' are of mice that are fed their bodyweight in aspartame... but we know already that anything in a large enough quantity will kill you, like 'butter' for example. There have been no, I mean NO studies that show a statistically significant increase in cancer rates due to aspartame.

i like the criticisms of olestra.. what do you expect will happen when indigestible fat comes to pass out of your ass?

 

[ShawnD1]

I'm sorry but this article's author is an idiot.

Avoid artificial flavor? I'm guessing she has no idea what that even means. I'm a chemist and I've worked in a food QC lab before, so I'll give you the low down on how this works. Natural means you extracted it. Artificial means you synthesized it. I'll give an example

natural vinegar = ethanoic acid by over-fermenting alcohol
artificial vinegar = ethanoic acid created from ethylene (or other processes)
they are literally the same exact chemical

Stupid author is stupid.

http://www.frontiercoop.com/glossary.php

Artificial flavor - The United States Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 102.22) defines "artificial flavors" as any substance with the purpose of imparting flavor that is not derived from an herb, spice, fruit, vegetable, or other plant or animal source. A listing of artificial flavors can be found in 21 CFR 172.515 (b), and 21 CFR 182.60.

That means instead of extracting it from something that already has it, you're synthesizing it from something. A lot of synthetics actually come from ethylene in natural gas. 100% booze alcohol is made from ethylene, but the natural 95% version can come from distilling natural fermented alcohol. Both are ethanol.

 

[chusteczka]

Then you should have posted it here: http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52

Pedantically, you may be correct. This was a toss-up between Politics and News, Off Topic, and Health and Fitness. Considering I have been to the Health and Fitness category twice (with the second time to verify that is where your link went), I chose Off Topic.

 

[chusteczka]

It is possible there is no solid "proof" any of the chemicals are harmful but there is enough conjecture and doubt to provide for healthy skepticism. In a capitalistic economy that cares more for money than the health of the people, an individual has reason to question whether common acceptance is appropriate. When it comes to me and my body, regarding my health, my energy levels, and my enjoyment of life; the best course of action is to be aware of the potential of harm and make decisions to decrease that potential of harm.

Besides, after changing my lifestyle to avoid such chemicals in my food, I have found a much greater enjoyment of food in general. This leads to an increased quality of life. If it is completely in my head with no factual basis, it still increases the quality of my life through my belief in it.

 

[DrPizza]

I'm sorry but this article's author is an idiot.

Stupid author is stupid.

So, you read that list, read the things that it "may" cause, and completely ignore that natural foods may cause the exact same problems?

 

[KeithTalent]

On a side note MSG is mostly a placebo effect. When tested people got the symptoms and said the food contained it, when they were actually in the group that didn't get it.

I don't know about that. To keep the story short, I was eating various types of ramen noodles from the local Asian grocery store a while back and I kept getting headaches when I ate 2 specific brands and it turned out those were the two I was purchasing that contained MSG, with all else being close to equal. After that I stopped eating MSG and now I only get headaches from food when there is something more nefarious at work and that is, thankfully, relatively infrequent.

KT

 

[nageov3t]

I don't know about that. To keep the story short, I was eating various types of ramen noodles from the local Asian grocery store a while back and I kept getting headaches when I ate 2 specific brands and it turned out those were the two I was purchasing that contained MSG, with all else being close to equal. After that I stopped eating MSG and now I only get headaches from food when there is something more nefarious at work and that is, thankfully, relatively infrequent.

KT

can you eat tomatoes?

 

[ahenkel]

I've been making an effort to not eat processed foods lately. Especially already prepared meals. Its a hell of a lot more expensive a lot of times to eat well.

 

[SandEagle]

i also avoid carmine. its a bug extract used for coloring :hmm:
anything hydrolyzed sucks too.

 

[KeithTalent]

can you eat tomatoes?

Yes, I can eat tomatoes, even canned ones. Most of the canned ones I buy are organic, with just tomatoes, so I can't imagine they are slipping MSG through. :hmm:

KT

 

[Gibsons]

i also avoid carmine. its a bug extract used for coloring :hmm:
anything hydrolyzed sucks too.

Any protein you eat is hydrolyzed, one way or another.

 

[nageov3t]

Yes, I can eat tomatoes, even canned ones. Most of the canned ones I buy are organic, with just tomatoes, so I can't imagine they are slipping MSG through. :hmm:

KT

tomatoes are full of MSG naturally

 

[KaOTiK]

I just avoid food with freshly ground black people

 

[SandEagle]

Any protein you eat is hydrolyzed, one way or another.

oh word? i dont even know what the fuck hydrolyzed means. it just sounds nasty. :hmm:

 

[uclaLabrat]

i also avoid carmine. its a bug extract used for coloring :hmm:
anything hydrolyzed sucks too.

I think you mean hydrogenated. Hydrolyzed is fine.

 

[KeithTalent]

tomatoes are full of MSG naturally

I know Glutamate is a naturally occurring protein that we need, but I thought MSG was something combined in processed products. :hmm:

Not saying you're wrong or lying, I just remember Glutamate from Bio in school, not MSG. :hmm:

KT

 

[PieIsAwesome]

List is fail.

And lol@"chemical-free" food.

 

[chusteczka]

List is fail.

And lol@"chemical-free" food.

I suppose you are correct to laugh at the term "chemical-free" food. I tend to personally define chemicals in food as those which may potentially cause harm.

 

[Quiksilver]

more like 1 ingredient in food I should avoid... olestra.

 

[Gibsons]

I know Glutamate is a naturally occurring protein that we need, but I thought MSG was something combined in processed products. :hmm:

Not saying you're wrong or lying, I just remember Glutamate from Bio in school, not MSG. :hmm:

KT

Gutamate is an amino acid. it tends to stick to sodium, that's MSG. Take most any protein, cook it a little and you'll likely get some glutamate. Add a bit of salt and you'll have MSG.