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3,000 Food AdditivesOver and above the
chemical fertilizers and pesticides, there are over 3,000 chemical food
additives in use today. The average American consumes a full pound of them per year! Monosodium glutamate, sugar substitutes, dyes, preservatives, nitrites, emulsifiers, fillers, waxes, sprayed on vitamins made from coal tars, tenderizers, texturizers, antifreezes, hormones and antibiotics are just a few we consume in processed foods. Hormones have been implicated in the development of breast cancer and other cancers in humans. Feeding livestock antibiotic-laced feed can promote strains of bacteria that are resistant to our present arsenal of antibiotic drugs, putting humans at risk of dangerous infections. Waxes on produce can seal pesticides in our food. Fungicides, used to retard spoilage, are sometimes combined in the wax (which makes them more difficult to wash off), and at least two fungicides are listed as probable human carcinogens. Some artificial colors have been found to be hazardous to our health. Red No. 3, aka erythrosine, was banned from most uses because it produced thyroid tumors in rats but it is still used in pistachio nuts, maraschino cherries and other foods. Yellow No. 5, aka tartrazine, still in use, can cause hives, itching, runny nose, headaches, or breathing problems in sensitive individuals. Sodium nitrite is added to bacon, ham, bologna and other processed meats as a preservative and flavor enhancer. In the stomach, nitrite may combine with other compounds, secondary amines, to form powerful cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines. Unfortunately, that's not all. These 3,000 additives do not include the indirect additives which encompass an additional 12,000 chemicals used in packaging, some of which migrate to our foods. Most of the milling of our refined rice, sugar, wheat, (etc), are used primarily in feed for pigs, cattle, chickens, (etc), destined for slaughter. We buy the ultra-refined, chemically contaminated, lifeless, degeneration-promoting food that's left. Let's move on to food labels so you can learn about what to look for and how to ascertain what may be your best choice... |