Just because certain foods are considered legal by the FDA, it doesn't make them healthy or even safe to eat. For one reason or another, a variety of foods that were banned in other countries due to health concerns are somehow still allowed in the United States. So if you want to stay fit–and more importantly, healthy–you can't just rely on the FDA to make your food choices for you. You need to look at the food labels yourself and check for any potentially dangerous ingredients. Here are some of the ingredients you should look out for.
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Artificial coloring agents (food dyes): These artificial dyes add zero nutritional value to our foods. They're only used because people find colorful foods more appealing to eat. You can find them in cake, candy, macaroni and cheese, sports drinks, soda, and even pet food. The common colors used are Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.
Here's the problem: most of these artificial colors are made from coal tar, which is used to keep industrial floors shiny. It's also used in anti-lice shampoo to kill off the small bugs. Studies in the U.K. have linked these dyes to attention deficit disorder.
Bromine: Brominated flour (potassium bromate) is found in rolls, wraps, bread crumb, and flatbread. It's used because it reduces the time needed for baking, and lowers the cost of production. But this cheaper cost doesn't come without some dangerous consequences. This flour contains the toxic chemical called bromine, which has been linked to kidney disorders, nervous system disorders, and gastrointestinal discomfort.
Bromine has been banned in over 100 countries, but the United States has yet to jump aboard. We can also find it in our sports drinks and citrus-flavored sodas, as brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which is just as dangerous.
Azodicarbonamide: This chemical is used by American food processors to quickly whiten flour, drastically shortening the time of production. It's found in breads, boxed pasta mixes, packaged baked goods, and frozen dinners. But here's the problem: this chemical has been linked to asthma development. It isn't fit for human consumption and is primarily used to produce foamed plastic, like yoga mats and sneaker soles. If food companies in Singapore tried using it to bleach their food, they would face half-million dollar fines and up to 15 years in prison. But in the United States, it is common practice.
Cow hormones: Dairy farmers inject their cows with synthetic growth hormones in order to boost milk production. These hormones often cause the cows to become sick, infertile and infected. And eating the milk and beef from these cows isn't healthy for us either. The hormones they contain have been linked to breast, colon and prostate cancers. Whenever you can, stick to organic cow products.
Poison in chicken: The FDA allows farmers to use arsenic in chicken feed. It makes the chickens look fresher and more appetizing. But arsenic is a known poison that is banned in the European Union! The Environmental Protection Agency classifies it as a human carcinogen, which means it's known to cause cancer. So if you're going to be eating a lot of chicken, you should stick to the organic birds.
These are just some of the dangerous ingredients you need to look out for. The complete list can be quite overwhelming. That's why it would serve you best to follow this simple advice. First, ditch all the processed food. Anything that comes in a box or bag is probably harmful to your health. Stick to nutritious whole foods.
And whenever you can, eat organic foods (especially meats). The improved health you get by cutting out these toxins is easily worth the slightly higher cost.
*This post was originally published on May 30, 2013.
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Images via iStock
