The Safety of the Food We Eat

Cindy Holt, RN, LMT


I read an article recently that listed common ingredients in commercial food and drugs that should be avoided for very good reasons. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a good start. I found lots of information on the internet- you should be able to check these facts easily.

The first is Yellow Dye #5 and #6. They are grouped together because they cause the same problems. Yellow Dye #5 is also called Tartrazine and #6 is also called Annatto. Both dyes have been banned in several European countries. They are known to cause allergic reactions, indigestion, clinical depression, anxiety, vision disturbances, a feeling of not being able to breathe, migraines, and possibly ADHD symptoms. It is commonly found in skim milk, Tang, canned fruit, yogurt, shampoo, makeup, toothpaste, aspirin, lotions, and packaged macaroni and cheese. This is not an exhaustive list, but some of the more subtle places. Any food colored yellow, brown, or green is suspect. It may or may not be listed on the label, as many companies use ingredients that contain yellow dyes but do not have to list their small amounts. Unfortunately, once one has become sensitive to any of the substances I’m about to talk about, a minute amount is all that is needed to produce the untoward effect.

Second on the list is saccharin. It is derived from coal tar and has been known to be carcinogenic since 1977. Coal tar is a petroleum product, and if you want to ingest gasoline, go ahead. But at least say you knew what it was.

Third is Red dye #3. Several sources I found stated all red dyes should be avoided by women. Red dyes are found in many foods as well as lipsticks. Many are derived from coal tar as well. Red dye has been linked to abnormal thyroid function, migraines, and ADHD. Some feel it is also linked to cancer.

Fourth on this list are hydrogenated oils. Many of you are aware of the dangers of hydrogenated oils, but don’t know exactly what they are. Basically, they are fats that used to be liquids at room temperature but now are solids, such as margarine and shortening. They are made by heating the oils (what causes them to degrade and form free radicals) then hydrogen gas is passed through it so the fatty acids acquire a hydrogen molecule. They contain high levels of trans fat, which is far more deadly than any saturated fat on the market, like butter. Trans fats interfere with critical metabolic functions and are known to accelerate plaque formation in arteries, or heart disease.

Fifth is MSG, or monosodium glutamate. It used to be commonly found in Chinese food, causing what was referred to as “Chinese food syndrome”. Although it must be listed on the label if in a product, it is also found hidden in “texturized vegetable protein” or “other natural flavors”. Since the FDA allows this to happen, the average consumer is unaware of the hidden dangers. MSG is in a category of substances referred to as “excitotoxins”. Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon, has written several books on this subject, one of which is titled “Excitotoxins”. It is his belief that the presence of these substances in foods can trigger the genes for neurological diseases such as MS, ALS, Alzheimers’, Parkinson’s, and seizures among many others. The toxic substances include Aspartame (Nutrasweet) and many other food additives. The book is easy to read and quite an eye-opener. If you don’t like the idea of exciting the neurons in your brain to death, you should read it.

Sixth on our “hit parade” is intersterified fat. This is a new method of modifying fat that has health advocates up in arms. It’s known to raise blood sugar while suppressing insulin in healthy persons, much like the condition of adult onset diabetes. It also lowers the “good” cholesterol, HDL, while it raises the “bad” cholesterol, LDL. This is exactly the opposite of what you want. Of course, its ability to improve shelf life, much like hydrogenated oils, is what commercial food companies like about it. And, given the FDA’s overwhelming concern for our health (that was sarcasm), it looks like it may pass FDA approval. Watch out!

Seventh on the list is high fructose corn syrup. Now, the commercial food industry has been trying to comfort you with TV commercials assuring you HFCS is “just sugar”. Uh huh. Well, it is closely linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The research on its disadvantages far outweigh the advantages, namely it’s cheap. Avoid it like the plague if you want to avoid diabetes.

Eighth is another pairing of like substances, BHA and BHT. Both are used as preservatives in baked goods and many other things. They are listed on the label as they are common allergens. Additionally, they are linked to cancer, and are endocrine disruptors. They are also commonly found in commercial pet food. Another reason I make my dog’s food. They are associated with health and behavior problems in pets and humans.

Ninth is aspartame, although I have already mentioned it as an excitotoxin. I personally have known 2 people whose MS-like symptoms resolved when they stopped using diet sodas and artificial sweeteners in general. But, aspartame has been linked to leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer, paralysis, and OBESITY. It is NOT a good weight loss food. Recently, the dairy industry has asked to allow it to be added to flavored milk for school lunch programs. It seems the chocolate and strawberry milk they were using is too high in calories for recent calls to reduce obesity rates in children. This is in light of the fact a study, done by a prestigious European research center, was published in 2005. This 3 year study on 1800 rats, known as the Ramazzini Study, found aspartame to cause lymphoma and leukemia, and called it a “multipotential” carcinogen. Is this what you want your children consuming?

Tenth on this list is “Artificial Flavoring”, as found on ubiquitous labels in the grocery store. A quick internet search yielded far more information than I could relate here, but here’s a brief synopsis. This was an alphabetized list of individual substances, and I only got to the beginning of the “C’s”. Here’s what we KNOW to be true about those substances the FDA allows to be added to food and listed only as “artificial flavoring”. They may cause: liver damage, lung problems, DEATH, vertigo, coma, weakness, stomach upset, skin irritation, chest pain, headache, fatigue, poisoning, cancer, kidney failure, fetal death, loss of night vision, and did I mention DEATH??

Last, but certainly not least, is Acesulfame-K. This lovely little food additive is frequently added to Splenda to improve the sweetness of both. It is marketed as “Sweet One” and “Sunett”. Kraft adds sodium ferulate to mask the bitter taste of Acesulfame-K. Health advocates feel it is by far the most toxic of all the artificial sweeteners on the market, and when you read about the others, you know how bad it must be. It was released to the market by the FDA even though it was shown in multiple tests to be a carcinogen. It affects thyroid function in rats, rabbits, and dogs- so what do you think it might do to you? It is also linked to leukemia, chronic respiratory disease, and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

I feel I need to add a note about Splenda. I found much of this information on the following website: http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/. Splenda is a chlorinated artificial sweetener not found it nature. It is completely manufactured. A 2008 study at Duke University found it suppresses the normal bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to helping digest and absorb nutrients from food, these bacteria are essential to the health of your immune system. These adverse affects were found using the same dosages approved by the FDA, not some mega quantities that no one would ever consume. The manufacturer claims Splenda is not absorbed, but apparently up to 35% of it is, and stays in the body for up to 46 hours. This study is in question as the design is felt to be flawed. Neways, a company with high standards for safety, feels the very small amount they use is safe, based on current knowledge.

Health Care Crisis- Heathcare or Sickcare?

The Health Care Crisis
By
Cindy Holt RN, BSN, LMT

I entered the health care field when the practice of medicine was fairly low tech. There were no MRI’s, and no lasers, and many of the drugs essential to us now were not available. Health care was pretty cheap 35 years ago, but times have changed. With the cost of this technology on the sharp rise, so went the cost of health care. We now expect a certain level of care, and it costs us a pretty penny. HMO’s (Health Maintenance Organizations) were created to help control costs by streamlining medical care and creating protocols designed to reduce waste and improve efficiency. Many think they just created a whole new series of problems, while taking the profit away from doctors and giving it to administrators.

My idea is that we need to be more proactive about our own health. It is irresponsible to expect the “system” to fix our bodies after we have done nothing to maintain it. We need well-care, not sick-care. We need to be the captain of our own ship, and this requires education. Exercise, diet, and proper rest are essential. Many of us have no idea what proper rest and diet consists of, much less how to get it. Exercise is important, but exercising wrong can diminish the benefits you want.

You can’t always trust the media to give you the truth, either. They print what sells copies, and sensational stories sell more than mundane truths about diet and exercise. As a registered nurse and wellness specialist, I feel it is my duty and privilege to educate the public on fact versus fiction. I tire of the endless critics of the vitamin industry. The fact is, taking high quality naturally sourced vitamin supplements can save your life. An article in the December 1996 journal of the American Medical Association cited a study where healthy volunteers taking selenium supplements for 5 years had 63% fewer prostate cancers, 58% fewer colon cancers, and 45% fewer lung cancers than the control group. And this is only one of the many antioxidants now known to be essential for good health. Scientific evidence now shows that low doses of several antioxidants taken together in a blended product have greater health benefits than larger doses of any single antioxidant.

Just like what you’d find in nature’s fruits and vegetables. Not all multiple vitamins are created equal, either. Some are so firmly compacted that they won’t even dissolve in your system, so are excreted whole. Some are purely chemical and not recognized by the body. Talk about money down the drain. Beverly Rubik, world renowned biophysicist, wrote “Nutritional supplements today are a necessity, not a luxury. People need the right combination of dietary supplements to improve and protect their health.” I agree with her. What’s in YOUR diet?