Unhealthy / Toxic Chemicals in Food
Index of Diseases / Health Conditions ... Medicinal Foods, Herbs, Spices & Household Items
The below provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. Any treatment protocol should be discussed with a qualified healthcare practitioner ... Please refer to: Medical & Legal Disclaimer.
The Pesticide Action Network North America and Commonweal reported that Americans can experience up to 70 daily exposures to residues of a class of toxic chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including such chemicals as DDT and dioxin, through their diets. The report, "Nowhere to Hide: Persistent Toxic Chemicals in the U.S. Food Supply," analyzes chemical residue data collected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and finds persistent chemical contaminants in ALL food groups.
Toxic build-up / exposure have been linked to serious diseases and developmental disorders, including:
- General health problems: Cancer ... Cardio-vascular diseases ... Immune system diseases ... Hormonal imbalances
- Childhood & reproductive health problems: ADHD, hyperactivity, learning disability, autism. May cause reproductive damage.
- Neurological disorders / brain disease: 25% of the chemicals in the environment are neurotoxins linked to increased incidence of brain disease. Other related symptoms: memory lapses, "brain fog"
- Obesity: "The body naturally manufactures fat in abundance to incarcerate and absorb chemicals and toxins that accumulate over time. As you cleanse the body, one can expect fat and inches to be substantially reduced." - J. K.Paulsen, M.D. - a Bariatric Physician
- Joint Pain & Stiff Knees
- Other: headaches, anemia, nasal congestion and mucus, skin rashes, dark circles under eyes and brown blotches on the face
A common argument to calm people's concern about food additives is that the quantities of chemicals added to any one of the products is too low to cause harm. Below is a listing of additives that are frequently added to our foods and in going over this list, just about a food item that is commercially produced contains potentially harmful chemicals (and chemicals already outlawed in some countries)!
- One of the problems as well is that poorly calibrated production equipment may mix in more of those chemicals than even the FDA would consider safe.
- Unsafe levels can also be reached if toxins accumulate in our bodies (toxic over-load, some chemicals bioaccumulate - which means that they increase in concentration over time, potentially to generally accepted toxic levels.
The detoxifying function of our body ... As our body generates new cells to keep itself in good health, it also attempts to cleanse itself by the elimination of toxins through the skin, lungs, kidneys, liver, and colon. If one organ becomes congested, the others must work harder to keep the system balanced. The body doesn't just have to deal with the toxins we consume, but those from external sources, such as include environmental pollutants, polluted air and water.
By adding to the "toxic overload" we are taking away resources needed to maintain our body in good condition, generating / repairing cells, maintaining vital bodily functions, breaking down fats, etc. etc. If the body has to constantly deal with the onslaught of chemicals we ingest, there will be times when the body can no longer fulfill all its other major functions, leading to premature aging and disease.
The very best you can do for your health and longevity is to minimize exposure to toxins in your home AND your diet. These are factors you have control over.
| Typical foods found in: | Chemical's Names: | Potential Health Effects? |
| Meat products | Chemicals found in Meat Products:
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| Food, water, even lipsticks | Heavy metals | Severe anemia, permanent brain damage, Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, neurological disorders, reproductive problems, diminished intelligence, impaired immune system, behavioral disorders, as well as death. Click here for more info. |
| Flavor enhancer of tomatoes, aged cheese and mushrooms. Found in a seaweed sauce. Added to frozen and canned foods to cover any unpleasant tastes. |
Glutamic acid, most commonly found in the form monosodium glutamate (MSG) | If there is a high level of glutamates in the bloodstream, glutamate can enter the brain and cause the neurons to misfire, causing physical and psychological problems, and in extreme cases, permanent damage. There is evidence that behavioral problems in children previously thought to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or emotional problems might be caused at least in part by the glutamates in their diet. There have been numerous cases of children thought to be "problem" children undergoing a remarkable change when MSG is eliminated from their diet. |
Cola and non cola soft drinks, flavored mineral waters, fruit juice, fruit drinks |
Benzene (Preservative) | Click here for information. |
Deserts, bakery goods, beverages |
Artificial & Questionable "Natural" Sweeteners | Linked to cancers, hyperactivity / ADHD / learning disability - Click here for info |
| methylene chloride - a solvent that is used to remove caffeine from coffee. This process leaves this chemical in the coffee. | Proven carcinogenic that is toxic to lungs, the nervous system, liver, mucous membranes, central nervous system (CNS). Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. |
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Sodas, sweets, jams, cereals, snack foods, canned fish, packaged soups |
Tartrazine aka FD&C Yellow No:5; CI Acid Yellow23, CI Food Yellow 4. Coal tar dye. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon. * artificial color - Banned in Norway, Austria and Finland. Restricted use in Sweden and Germany. |
Cancer probability. Known to provoke asthma attacks (though not recognized by the US FDA) and urticaria (nettle rash) in children (the US FDA estimates 1:10 000). May cause altered states of perception and behavior, uncontrolled hyper agitation and confusion; wakefulness in young children. Is also known to inhibit zinc metabolism and interfere with digestive enzymes. |
Soft drinks |
Yellow 2G, Acid yellow 17, CI Food yellow 5, Coal tar dye * artificial color - Banned in Australia (1992), Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and USA. |
May cause asthma, rashes and hyperactivity |
Cereals, bakery, sweets, snack foods, ice cream / lollies, drinks and canned fish, orange squash, jelly, jam, cakes, soups, desert mixes, yoghurt, sauces |
Sunset Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S, FD&C Yellow No:6, CI Food yellow 3 * artificial color - * Banned in Finland, Norway and the UK. |
Can provoke allergic reactions such as abdominal pain, hyperactivity, hives, nasal congestion, bronchoconstriction, kidney tumours, chromosomal damage, and distaste for food. It produces urticaria, swelling of the blood vessels, gastric upset. Potentially dangerous to asthmatics |
| Sweets, cakes, biscuits, drinks, condiments, medications |
FD&C Red No:40 |
Has been connected with cancer. |
| Milk deserts, sweets, biscuits, ice creams, baked goods, confectionary | Indigotine, Indigo carmine, FD&C Blue No:2, synthetic coal tar dye. * artificial color - Banned in Norway. |
May cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, skin rashes, breathing problems, brain tumors and other allergic reactions. |
| Dairy products, sweets and drinks | Brilliant blue FCF, FD&C Blue Dye No:1, CI Acid blue 9, CI Food blue 2, CI Pigment blue 24 * artificial color - Banned in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway Switzerland, Sweden. |
Can cause hyperactivity, skin rashes, bronchoconstriction (combined with 127 and 132), chromosomal damage. |
| Sugar-coated flour confectionery, silver coated tablets. | Aluminium | There is evidence that aluminum accumulation in body cells could be toxic and linked to Parkinson-type diseases, or that skeletal deformations could occur. Suspect of being a neuron-toxic hazard and been linked to osteoporosis. |
Approximately 10% of aspartame is broken down into methanol in the small intestine. Most of the methanol is absorbed and quickly converted into formaldehyde - a know toxin. Formaldehyde-based solutions are used in embalming to disinfect and temporarily preserve human remains.
FDA Branch Chief Thomas Wilcox reported that aspartame complaints represented 75% of all reports of adverse reactions to substances in the food supply from 1981 to 1995. Concerns about aspartame frequently revolve around symptoms and health conditions that are allegedly caused by the sweetener. A total of 92 different symptoms and health conditions were reported by physicians and consumers.
Concern has been raised about links to brain cancer, lymphoma, and genotoxic effects The US Air Force issued an alert in 1992, warning air force pilots about drinking diet drinks containing aspartame before flying.
Colors. Both synthetic colors and colors derived from natural pigments may be added to foods to improve appearance. Most processed foods contain color additives. For example, margarine would not be yellow without color additives. Color additives may be used to offset color loss resulting from exposure to air, light, moisture, temperature extremes and storage conditions. They also may be used to correct natural variations in color, enhance naturally occurring colors and provide color to foods (e.g., foods that naturally lack an appealing color).
Some artificial food colors are made from petroleum with added antifreeze to hold the color ...
The source of many artificial food colors that go into our food are coal tar and petrochemicals. The human body was not designed to eat petrochemicals and the risk the consumption of these ingredients pose to our health is obvious.
So why are we putting petrochemicals in our foods?
The food companies are doing so to make the foods they sell more attractive to the consumers. The health effects on consumers appear to be of little consideration. Several artificial colors have been banned and pulled off the market over the last several decades because it was ultimately found to cause cancer. The safety of those still allowed on the market is questionable to say the least; and eventually many of them will be outlawed when the myriad health problems they cause are made public.
Things you can do to protect your family:
Make better decisions at the grocery store by reading ingredient labels.
Look for artificial food coloring ingredients like Yellow #2, Red #5 or Blue Lake #40, and then avoid them.
- Cheap, low-grade products in the grocery store tend to use these artificial colors.
- You will also find that the same snack chips, processed foods, boxed dinner meals, and junk food made by the biggest food companies also contain refined white flour, MSG and hydrogenated oils.
- Watch out for artificial colors in fruit drinks and candy. There are loads of artificial colors in candy, which makes for a very bad combination -- especially for children.
- Your orange flavoured drink has tricalcium phosphate, cellulose gum, and the color tartrazine which is already banned in some countries.
- Another repeat offender in this category is "sport drinks," which are loaded with petrochemical artificial colors that have no purpose other than to make the beverage visually appealing to consumer.
- The confectionery industry relies heavily on artificial colors to make its foods -- like cake and icing -- look appealing as well. Icing is usually made of hydrogenated soybean oil, which is a nerve toxin, combined with refined sugars, which are dietary poisons that cause diabetes. The petrochemical-based artificial colors are used to top it off.
- Read the ingredients on blueberry bagels at your local grocery store next time, and you'll find that there are really no blueberries but plenty of artificial blue and green colors to create the impression of little blueberry bits.
Instead, you look for natural food coloring ingredients.
There are products colored with beet juice, a much healthier way to color food; annatto, a very healthy plant source; or turmeric, a fantastic herb with anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Natural food color is not always "good."
Would you believe they actually make al food color from squashed insects ...
Carmine (IPA: /ˈkɑrmaɪn, -mɪn, -miːn/), also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470 or E120, is a pigment of a bright red color obtained from the carminic acid produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal and the Polish cochineal, and is used for a particularly deep red color.
Carmine is used as a food dye in many different products, such as juice, ice cream, yogurt, and candies, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc. Although principally a red dye, it is found in many foods that are shades of red, pink, and purple. As a food dye it has been known to cause severe allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock in some people.
Food products containing carmine-based food dye may prove to be a concern for people who are allergic to carmine, or people who choose not consume any or certain animals, such as vegetarians, vegans, and followers of religions with dietary law (e.g. kashrut in Judaism and halaal in Islam).
Sources of Benzene:
Benzene can be formed in beverages that contain both ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium benzoate (a preservative). The reaction between the ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in beverages can create benzene. Beverages most likely to have benzene formation and included:
- cola and non cola soft drinks
- flavored mineral waters
- fruit juice
- fruit drinks
Associated Health Problems:
Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, rapid heart rate, and death.
Cancer: Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, particularly acute myelogenous leukemia, often referred to as AML. This is a cancer of the bloodforming organs. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene is a known carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the EPA have determined that benzene is carcinogenic to humans.
The major effect of benzene from long-term exposure is on the blood. Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.
Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries, but we do not know for certain that benzene caused the effects. It is not known whether benzene will affect fertility in men.
How can benzene affect children?
Children can be affected by benzene exposure in the same ways as adults. It is not known if children are more susceptible to benzene poisoning than adults.
Benzene can pass from the mother’s blood to a fetus. Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene.
Testing for benzene exposure ...
There is a test for measuring benzene in the breath; this test must be done shortly after exposure. Benzene can also be measured in the blood; however, since benzene disappears rapidly from the blood, this test is only useful for recent exposures.
In the body, benzene is converted to products called metabolites. Certain metabolites can be measured in the urine. The metabolite S-phenylmercapturic acid in urine is a sensitive indicator of benzene exposure. However, this test must be done shortly after exposure and is not a reliable indicator of how much benzene you have been exposed to, since the metabolites may be present in urine from other sources.
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