Food additives are designed to improve the taste and quality of the product, its structure, color and aroma, as well as to increase the shelf life. Almost any purchased product contains some kind of additives – sweeteners, preservatives, thickeners, flavors and colors. And the more complex the dish, the more additives it contains. You can minimize the risks to your health by not buying foods with the most harmful food additives.
corn syrup
It contains all the sweet drinks that you see on store shelves. Corn syrup contains a lot of fructose, which in large quantities is more harmful than regular sugar. Fructose faster than sugar can trigger the onset of diabetes. Also, due to the use of this syrup, the level of bad cholesterol increases.
Artificial sweeteners
The most popular sweetener is aspartame (E921), which has carcinogenic properties, suppresses appetite, provokes acne and destroys tooth enamel. Aspartame has a high concentration of phenylalanine, which accumulates in the body and over time changes the mind, leading to panic attacks and manic depression.
Trans fats
Trans fats are beneficial and often replace ordinary animal and vegetable fats, but they are very dangerous for humans – they provoke diabetes, suppress immunity, reduce testosterone in men, contribute to the accumulation of bad cholesterol, and increase the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases.
Food colorings
Foods with dyes are attractive in appearance, but very harmful to the body. They provoke mood swings, disorders of the brain, memory and attention, can cause serious allergic reactions, and increase excitability.
MSG
The popular flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG, E621) provokes the development of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract – ulcers, gastritis. It is highly addictive, akin to drug addiction, to foods that contain it – crackers and chips.
sulphur dioxide
This preservative E220 is very toxic, and if you exceed its dosage, then at least there will be strong signs of poisoning – vomiting, headache, dizziness, speech impairment and choking. A frequent allergic reaction to it is anaphylactic shock.
Sodium nitrite
Sodium nitrite, also known as E250, affects internal organs, especially the liver and intestines, provokes allergic reactions, as well as the appearance of certain types of cancer.
Potassium bromate
This additive is more often present in baked goods, it is designated in the composition as E924. It is believed that potassium bromate, even in small amounts, causes the formation and development of cancer cells in various organs of the human body.