Food additives

Did you know the average North American consumes 11 pounds of food additives as preservatives, food colouring, bleaches, artificial flavouring, emulsifiers, and stabilizers.  Over 200,000 tons of chemicals additives are added to food each year, or about 10 pounds per person. Food colouring is added to make food look good, make us feel good, and make food last longer. But it isn't good for us. In fact, many are not coping well with the level of chemical bombardment we are dealing with today.

Tartrazine, which is added to soft drinks to colour them yellow/orange, has been linked to hyperactivity in children. Studies have shown that tartrazine increases the amount of zinc excreted in the urine. Scientists believe the chemical binds to zinc in the blood and prevents it from being used by the body. Emotional and behavioural changes have been observed in children who drank drinks containing tartrazine. Tartrazine is an anti-nutrient, which means it interferes with the absorption of nutrients.

There are a few that are good for you. These colours are associated with specific vitamins and are not harmful:

• E101 - Vitamin B2
• E160 – Carotene, vitamin A
• Antioxidants E300-304 – vitamin C
• E306-309 – tocopherols, like vitamin E
• The emulsifier E322 – lecithin
• Stabilizers E375 – niacin
• E440 – pectin

Avoid all other additives!

Another culprit is MSG. Monosodium glutamate is a form of glutamic acid, an amino acid that occurs naturally in food and is also made in the body. MSG is often used as a flavour enhancer. Recent research suggests that too much MSG causes excessive brain-cell excitation which can lead to cell death. This could play a role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntingdon’s. Excess MSG can cause reactions such as difficulty concentrating, extreme mood swings, and depression. Glutamate's role in these symptoms remains controversial.

If you react to MSG, it is best to avoid it entirely. Even if you don’t, it is recommended that you keep intake as low as possible. Eating a diet of mainly whole foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and high-quality proteins will mean that you are already avoiding added MSG.

There are over 40 food ingredients besides monosodium glutamate that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG). So when you are reading food labels, it is helpful to know what names these ingredients are known as:

• autolyzed yeast,
• maltdextrin,
• hydrolyzed pea protein
• sodium caseinate
• monopotassium glutamate
• calcium caseinate

Some acids and enzymes when combined with a food that contains protein will produce MSG. The words “enzyme” and “protease” (a type of enzyme) indicate the presence of enzymes capable of causing the production of MSG. These can also occur in organic products.

People who are sensitive to processed free glutamic acid (MSG), or those who simply would choose to avoid ingestion of toxic amino acids, need to know that there are two other neurotoxic amino acids commonly used in food: aspartic acid and L-cysteine. Aspartic acid is found in the sugar substitutes called "neotame", "aspartame", “AminoSweet”, "NutraSweet" and "Equal."  L-cysteine is identified as L-cysteine and is most often found in dough conditioners.

The big three toxic additives to avoid are: tartrazine and other food colours, MSG in its many guises, and aspartame. And of course pesticides. These toxins pose an even greater risk to children because of their size and developing systems. While it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate all chemicals form your food and your children's food, it is quite possible to minimize their exposure considerably. Read labels and avoid anything that is too long or difficult to pronounce. Buy organic. And of course, buy most of your food from fresh, live sources and minimize the amount of packaged processed food you allow into your home.