1. Sodium Nitrite (aka Sodium Nitrate)
A preservative used to preserve, color, and flavor meat products. Sodium nitrite is commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef to stabilize the red color and add flavor. The preservative prevents growth of bacteria, but studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer. High-temperature cooking such as grilling turns it into a reactive compound that has been shown to promote cancer.
2. BHA and BHT
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are used to preserve common household foods by preventing them from oxidizing. Both keep fats and oils from going rancid and are found in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils, but there is concern that they may form a compound that may cause cancer.
3. Propyl Gallate
This is also a preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling and is often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT. It can be found in meat products, chicken soup base, and chewing gum. Studies done on animals have suggested that it could be linked to cancer.
4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is a common flavor enhancer in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. It can cause headaches and nausea in some people, and animal studies link it to damaging nerve cells in the brains of infant mice.
5. Trans Fats
Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease, and could lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and limb loss due to vascular disease.
6. Aspartame
Aspartame, also known by the brand names Nutrasweet and Equal, is an additive found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks. It also comes in individual packages used in place of sugar as a sweetener. The safety of aspartame, a combination of two amino acids and methanol, has been the focus of hundreds of scientific studies. Animal studies suggest that there is a link between aspartame and cancer.
7. Acesulfame-K
This is a relatively new artificial sweetener, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998 for use in soft drinks. It is also found in baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts. Acesulfame-K—the “K” is the chemistry symbol for potassium—is considered 200 times sweeter than sugar. There is a general concern that testing on this product has been scant, and some studies show the additive may cause cancer in rats.
8. Food Colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 6
Not every dangerous artificial food coloring is banned by the FDA because there are five still on the market that are linked with cancer in animal testing. Some specific dye colors do promote tumor formation, in the right combination and conditions.
- Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food are considered low risk but have been linked to cancer in mice.
- Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, candy, and baked goods, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats.
- Green 3, added to candy and beverages, though rarely used, has been linked to bladder cancer.
- Yellow 6, widely added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods, and candy, has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.
9. Olestra
This is a synthetic fat found in some potato chip brands. It prevents fat from getting absorbed in your digestive system which often leads to severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and gas. Olestra blocks healthy vitamin absorption from fat-soluble carotenoids that are found in fruits and vegetables.
10. Potassium Bromate
Potassium bromate is rare, but still legal in the U.S., and it is used as an additive to increase volume in white flour, breads, and rolls.
Small amounts in bread is a risk for cancer in humans while it is known to cause cancer in animals. In the state of California, a cancer warning on the product label if potassium bromate is an ingredient.
11. White Sugar
White sugar is added to baked goods, cereals, crackers, even sauces and many other processed foods. It is unsafe for our health and promotes bad nutrition.
12. Sodium Chloride
A dash of salt can bring flavor but unhealthy amounts are dangerous, affecting cardiovascular function, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
Source: MSN Health and Fitness
Chapter: Food :: 15 July 2008
