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Discussion of potentially harmful food ingredients and additives

i feel like susan powter "stop the insanity!".

also, who has the time to grow all their own foods? and who has the money to buy all organically grown foods?

not me.

i realize the concern and it is completely founded, but i think that unless you notice a definite sensitivity to these additives, that they are most likely not as harmful as these shock-websites make them out to be.

another thing- i find it strange how a bunch of drug (ab)users (myself included) are trying to keep their bodies pure and natural. then again, i just bought an aquatic lifeform for a feminine product. just a thought, though.

everything in moderation.

(well, except beer...) =)
 
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Good bump. I was actually just thinking about making a thread about bad ingredients in household products but couldn't remember if one was already made. This may have been the thread I was thinking of.
 
No mention of sugar in here. Sugar is added to practically everything. Even to "healthy" foods like split peas( 20 grams?! ) and beans. More often than not it's in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Yuk!

Avoiding those sugars will make you healthier and you will probably feel alot better as well.

Read the ingredients, if it has high fructose corn syrup or sugar listed look for a brand that doesn't.
 
Wow, old thread with a lot of former members posting. Cool.

Everyone knows I'm one of the resident health freaks, but I'll just add my two cents to the mix. I don't eat ANY processed food. Ever.

Okay I take that back. The only thing I can think of that I sometimes eat that I'd consider processed is black olives.

Pretty much everything else I eat is purchased in it's raw form and made by me. I eat a mostly raw diet now so I don't even cook most of it. Raw organic greens, sprouts (grown by me), raw nuts, only organic, cold pressed extra virgin oils (coconut, hemp and olive). Raw fresh meat and seafood. Raw fruit. MMMM.

So yeah, if I had to make a list of what food additives were bad I'd say ALL OF THEM.

Food shouldn't have additives. If it needs additives, you aint livin right.

Some people will be able to eat 'natural' foods, but the fact is that there are a lot of peopel to be fed, and a lot of profit at stake. If swapping a few genes here, or putting a few hydrogen atoms there will make food taste the same for a few extra months, or yeild a little more grain per sq ft... people are going to do so.
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I believe that things should be in balance and the human race is out of balance. People say things like "But how do you expect to feed this massive population?" I don't think there is SUPPOSED to be a massive population that there is no food for. When that happens (in any living species) some of the population starves and therefore goes down. I do not feel it is right (or rather, without consequence) to attempt to alter nature in order to sustain a massively overgrown population. Doing so, will only create (at some point) some other variable which will have to rise and take the population down, whether it be a plague of some sort, or some consequence from the ways we alter our "food".

Humans simply cannot sustain themselves the way we have been going. We need local, sustainably grown food for the local population, not some vile trans fat preservative filled processed cracker shit that has been flown across the world in order to get into someones digestive track and do nothing of value.

It kills me that more people do not understand what raw food can do. If they only knew how much ENERGY a small bowl of LIVE sprouts could give them... or the vitality of raw greens. If people knew how good they could feel they'd never buy another box of crackers or Mac N Cheese again.

The consequences for what we've done to food are already showing in the diseased population.. but there will be more consequences to come if we don't change something, as a society, very soon.

/end rant. :D
 
MSG is not more harmful than everyday foods like parmesan cheese which naturally contain glutamate. The idea that MSG is somehow harmful and everyone should avoid it since it's somehow toxic is a myth.

I'm sick of certain food additives, wrongly and unfairly being demonized.

I happily cook with MSG and will continue to do so since it's a wonderfully versatile flavour enhancer.
 
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^Some people get flushing, headaches, or other discomforts from MSG. Its similar to sulfites as a wine preservative or gluten -not a problem for most of the population but definitely problematic for some.

I agree with explicit labeling for some problem foods. Nutra-sweet (aspatame) products having an explicit warning because a small group is very badly effected by the phenylalanine seems OK to me and I'd probably increase the number of additives that ought have explicit consumer advisories.
 
^ These same people get issues with foods that naturally contain glutamate, like parmesan cheese, most grains and many other foods. It's not a problem specific to MSG. Demonising it is unhelpful as most people don't have an issue with it.
 
^ yes and some naturally occurring foods, peanuts as one example, are problematic for enough people in a serious way that their inclusion in a product warrants a heads up to consumers who might consume them unexpectedly. Demonization is kind of a loaded term with a lot of emotional charge to it. To me it is about identifying things that are problematic for a good segment of the public and helping people who are adversely effected to avoid inadvertent consumption. Labels of 'no MSG' aren't about demonization.
 
^Actually, they quite specifically are about demonization. The only reason they're there is because of public hysteria. Note that parmesan cheese containers don't have similar obvious warnings about glutamate content. Bottles of MSG don't say "Warning: MSG" on them. Bread doesn't have warnings on it that say "danger: gluten" (although that's FINALLY starting to change, which isn't such a big deal with an obvious contender like bread, but gluten is an additive in TONS of processed foods). The only things that are typically marked are those that cause severe allergic reactions (like peanuts) or have a severe medical consequence (like phenylalanine), so anything outside of that is kinda... suspect... in terms of motivation. MSG tastes great, so to me a warning isn't a selling point for any food product. Really, my point is that you should just stop talking about MSG, because you're just digging a deeper and deeper hole when it comes to the topic. Either everything should be labeled as such, or there should be no cause for concern. A "no MSG" label is by definition useless, because the ingredients are listed right on the package - either MSG is in it or it isn't. (And that's why peanuts and phenylalanine are great examples for useful warnings - a product might not have peanuts in it but be processed on equipment that touches peanuts; phenylalanine is pretty much never listed as an ingredient because it's not a standalone ingredient, but there are certain sweeteners that break down into it in the body)



I don't have any particular chemicals to mention here, but I would like to stress the importance of remembering that EVERYTHING is a chemical. Whether it's natural or synthetic is almost completely irrelevant. The question is whether a chemical does something bad to our bodies, and whether it does bad to all bodies or only some bodies. A molecule of water is a molecule of water whether it's synthesized in a lab or picked up out of a stream. So is a molecule of cyanide. So is a molecule of anything. The poison is in the dose, not the creation.
 
I think you've misunderstood me. I don't have an issue people being made aware of it's presence in foods as with the case of nuts. What I'm referring to is a general fear a lot of people have of MSG as they have been led to believe it's some sort of toxic additive that must be avoided at all costs when in actual fact, very few people have an issue with it. These people aren't aware of the fact that the problem people have with MSG isn't isolated to this additive and it's actually a whole host of foods containing glutamate that cause the problem.

I think MSG has been potrayed ufairly an innacurately as being something it most certainly is not. For most people it's safe as it's just a salt that dissociates into sodium cations and glutamate anions. For most, it's nothing to be feared at all.
 
rant*N*rave said:
^Actually, they quite specifically are about demonization. The only reason they're there is because of public hysteria. Note that parmesan cheese containers don't have similar obvious warnings about glutamate content. Bottles of MSG don't say "Warning: MSG" on them. Bread doesn't have warnings on it that say "danger: gluten" (although that's FINALLY starting to change, which isn't such a big deal with an obvious contender like bread, but gluten is an additive in TONS of processed foods). The only things that are typically marked are those that cause severe allergic reactions (like peanuts) or have a severe medical consequence (like phenylalanine), so anything outside of that is kinda... suspect... in terms of motivation. MSG tastes great, so to me a warning isn't a selling point for any food product. Really, my point is that you should just stop talking about MSG, because you're just digging a deeper and deeper hole when it comes to the topic. Either everything should be labeled as such, or there should be no cause for concern. A "no MSG" label is by definition useless, because the ingredients are listed right on the package - either MSG is in it or it isn't. (And that's why peanuts and phenylalanine are great examples for useful warnings - a product might not have peanuts in it but be processed on equipment that touches peanuts; phenylalanine is pretty much never listed as an ingredient because it's not a standalone ingredient, but there are certain sweeteners that break down into it in the body)



I don't have any particular chemicals to mention here, but I would like to stress the importance of remembering that EVERYTHING is a chemical. Whether it's natural or synthetic is almost completely irrelevant. The question is whether a chemical does something bad to our bodies, and whether it does bad to all bodies or only some bodies. A molecule of water is a molecule of water whether it's synthesized in a lab or picked up out of a stream. So is a molecule of cyanide. So is a molecule of anything. The poison is in the dose, not the creation.
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Thank you. You explained it much more eloquently than I did.
 
rant*N*rave said:
Actually, they quite specifically are about demonization. The only reason they're there is because of public hysteria. Note that parmesan cheese containers don't have similar obvious warnings about glutamate content.
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Parmesan cheese has a nature that hasn't changed for centuries. If it were suddenly reformulated to include shell fish or an atrazine dye I'd like a heads up. It would not be a demonization of food coloring or shell fish it would be that products that are reformulated with different ingredients that make some people feel bad or can cause actual health problems for some ought to give heads up. Listing products as "fat free", "no msg", "low sodium", is marketing based on an awareness some people have a desire to avoid those products.

Clearly signs that warn of deer crossings are demonizing deer. Wet paint signs demonize paint that might not even still be wet. Signs to wear hard hats are demonizing gravity.
 
Artificial Emotion said:
MSG is not more harmful than everyday foods like parmesan cheese which naturally contain glutamate. The idea that MSG is somehow harmful and everyone should avoid it since it's somehow toxic is a myth.

I'm sick of certain food additives, wrongly and unfairly being demonized.

I happily cook with MSG and will continue to do so since it's a wonderfully versatile flavour enhancer.
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Added MSG is often made with wheat which many people like myself react madly to. It's a hidden source of all sorts of things which can be allergens, or one can be reactive to the MSG itself. I have a friend who has violent reactions to any sort of released glutamate in foods (such as tomatoes that have been cooked down).

I happily cook with MSG and will continue to do so since it's a wonderfully versatile flavour enhancer.
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Not attacking you or anything, I mean it is your right to cook however you want. BUt I don't understand why food needs "flavor enhancers" other than food itself? You mix foods together, salt, spices etc. Isn't that the flavor? Maybe my tastes have changed much since being mostly raw now but to me food tastes like food and that is good.

To me it is about identifying things that are problematic for a good segment of the public and helping people who are adversely effected to avoid inadvertent consumption. Labels of 'no MSG' aren't about demonization.
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Yes, exactly thanks. Proper labeling is what we need. I got so sick of battling against the labels (*and accidentally ingesting contaminated food all the time) that I had no choice but to go to completely raw, whole unprocessed food. That way I KNOW. Because I am the one doing the "processing". I'm happy with my new lifestyle but my life would have been easier for years if we could have just had proper labeling laws. That way people can choose whatever they want to ingest, but they have an educated choice.

Bread doesn't have warnings on it that say "danger: gluten" (although that's FINALLY starting to change, which isn't such a big deal with an obvious contender like bread, but gluten is an additive in TONS of processed foods).
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Yeah, I think most of us are aware we can't have bread. The issue was me eating a can of soup and being bedridden for days only to later call the company and find out, oh guess what! There was gluten in some of their processing but no, it was hidden from the label. It's madness, but as you said it is starting to change. No matter to me though, no processed food, bye bye problem. :)

(And that's why peanuts and phenylalanine are great examples for useful warnings - a product might not have peanuts in it but be processed on equipment that touches peanuts; phenylalanine is pretty much never listed as an ingredient because it's not a standalone ingredient, but there are certain sweeteners that break down into it in the body)
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It's the exact same issue with gluten, corn, soy or other allergens. I was sickened multiple times by eating something that came from the same facility as something else. Although now they have that warning on most products, which I appreciate. It doesn't matter to you unless it matters to you, but when it matters to you, it is life or death...

I don't have any particular chemicals to mention here, but I would like to stress the importance of remembering that EVERYTHING is a chemical. Whether it's natural or synthetic is almost completely irrelevant.
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Well, to some of us it does matter, although possibly only for mental or spiritual reasons. But that is another thread. :)

I don't have an issue people being made aware of it's presence in foods as with the case of nuts. What I'm referring to is a general fear a lot of people have of MSG as they have been led to believe it's some sort of toxic additive that must be avoided at all costs when in actual fact, very few people have an issue with it.
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What makes you say very few people have an issue with it? How do you know that? I've known a lot of people with an issue with it. I do not believe it is good for anyone, but that said I don't believe a lot of the foods naturally containing it are good for humans either. That is just my opinion, as I've said in other threads I do not expect everyone to live the extremist lifestyle I live. To each their own.
 
Wouldn't salt be considered a flavor enhancer?

MSG may make things taste better, but I'm not really fond of the way it makes my heart race after ingestion.
 
Preservative 211 (Sodium Benzoate) has been found to damage DNA so try to avoid that. It is in many soft drinks. I think it has been banned in the UK but in Australia and probably in the U.S. I guess, it has not, and is still in many drinks.

Phenylalinine, although it has a bad rap, is actually one of the 20 amino acids that all life (at protein level) on earth is made from, so in a way it has been overhyped in terms of danger. Therefore it actually naturally occurs in some foods (including meat, legumes, milk, and a shitload of other stuff). However people with a genetic disorder PKU (phenylketonuria) can not break it down because they lack the gene encoding for the enzyme that does so, so if they do not carefully monitor their diet can end up with brain damage and seizures etc. (due to overaccumulation of it in the body - and brain). However without phenylalanine at all, every person would die.

Oh and as mentioned previously, frozen vegetables are pretty much as good as fresh vegetables, so that's great for lazy people like me. Handy hint (and good for the lazy) is that it is much healthier to cook them in the microwave because by boiling or steaming them you leach out a lot of the nutrients.
 
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Since you guys all seem so educated about these food additives, whats the deal with Aspartame?
Only reason I ask is because I am addicted to Diet Coke (Strange that this thread got recently bumped as I've made a conscious decision this week to give it up, just because I know it can't be good for my body). Have started drinking water instead which is so boring, but there you go...
 
chrissie said:
Wouldn't salt be considered a flavor enhancer?

MSG may make things taste better, but I'm not really fond of the way it makes my heart race after ingestion.
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Salt is something our bodies need though (real salt anyway). So I consider salt a food, a nutrient. Yes, it is a flavor enhancer but so are tomatoes. So are herbs. So is anything with a "flavor" that you can mix together. But I think that is something different than a food additive like msg, nitrates, etc.

Handy hint (and good for the lazy) is that it is much healthier to cook them in the microwave because by boiling or steaming them you leach out a lot of the nutrients.
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Actually steaming veggies preserves the most nutrients because they are being steam cooked, not boiled. The nutrients don't drain out into the water. You could steam them in the microwave too I guess, but cooking them in the microwave in general doesn't make them "healthier", I don't know where you got that.

Since you guys all seem so educated about these food additives, whats the deal with Aspartame?
Only reason I ask is because I am addicted to Diet Coke (Strange that this thread got recently bumped as I've made a conscious decision this week to give it up, just because I know it can't be good for my body). Have started drinking water instead which is so boring, but there you go...
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I would stay far away from all diet drinks, especially anything with aspartame, the nastiest of all the fake sweets.. blech. :! Don't drink soda! Any sort. It's nasty for you!
 
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