For years I have gone into food stores and read labels only to not know what half the ingredients were. I got to thinking, that maybe I'm not alone when it comes to knowing what the rest of them are. So, I've put together what might be a one-stop shopping guide to understanding what's in your food.
ACESULFAME POTASSIUM:
This is also known as acesulfame K or ace K. Commercially, it is marketed as Sweet One and Sunett. It is nothing more that a calorie-free, chemical, artificial sweetener that is used in over 5,000 products worldwide. You will find it in chewing gum, diet drinks, and light fruit drinks and used as a sugar replacement in desserts and baked goods because of its heat stability. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar and despite no testing done to determine its safety for human consumption, the Fraud and Drug Administration has not required testing despite knowing that this crap can cause cancer in animals. Oh yeah, it is not metabolized or stored in the body.
ACIDS:
The basic use of food acids are to enhance flavors and act as preservatives, to increase shelf life, and antioxidants to somehow provide some sort of artificial protection. The common food acids include vinegar, citric acid from citrus fruits, tartaric acid from grapes, and malic acid from apples. These are the safe ones. But
ADIPIC ACID, used in the production of nylon, is what the food industry uses in gelatin containing products, bottled drinks, and powdered fruit concentrates. It also has a low pH making food decay to take a bit longer.
CITRIC ACID, which we find in citrus fruits, is not what we find in food manufacturing. Basically this comes from corn (hello GMO), and it brings out the flavors of the other ingredients and provides a "tanginess" to otherwise boring foods. Did I forget to say that it greatly extends shelf life? Indeed it does!
MALIC ACID, is a good one as it comes from apples and used by the food industry to provide a tart or sour flavor to foods. Malic acid in combination with magnesium can help in alleviating fibromyalgia.
ANNATTO COLOR:
This is a natural yellow/red plant extract used to dye foods, textiles, and body care products. Primarily it is used as a red food coloring in cereals, preserved meats (otherwise they would be in their natural moldy grey color), cheeses, and sweets. Annatto has an incredible distinction - it is the only natural color known to cause as many adverse effects as artificial colors and is used because Annatto sounds better that Artificial. Adverse effects? How about reactions to skin, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and central nervous systems?
ANTIOXIDANTS (food grade):
These slow the oxidation of fats, oils, colorings, and flavorings. They are better known as:
BHT and BHA, which are only used to prevent oxidation, slow rancidity and yes, extend shelf life. You can find BHT and BHA in cereals, instant potatoes, frozen dinners, baked goods, chewing gum, beer, and some fruit drinks. The bad news: they affect the central nervous system, cause behavioral problems in kids, and BHT can convert hormones and contraceptives into carcinogens.
ARTIFICIAL BUTTER FLAVOR:
Do not touch it with a ten-foot pole! This creation contains more than one hundred chemicals. You can find this in popcorn, as have the factory workers for microwave popcorn that experienced an inflammatory lung disease, or "Popcorn Worker's Lung Disease", from the exposure to the diacetyl contained therein. Diacetyl is also hidden in ice cream, candy and baked goods as "artificial flavor". Included also is a chemical named acetoin, which is an aroma carrier used in flavor preparations. It is also another culprit in the Popcorn disease.
ARTIFICIAL COLOR:
These are basically from petroleum products and the Fraud and Drug Administration has "approved" the following bearing the letters FD&C (Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic):
FD&C Blue # 1 - Brilliant Blue FCF -A blue shade found in beverages, candy and baked goods. Hello cancer!
FD&C Blue # 2 - Indigotine - A dark blue shade found in pet food, beverages and candy. Yes, same as above!
FD&C Green # 3 - Fast Green FCF, E143 - A bluish green that is rarely used. Same!
FD&C Red # 3 - Erythrosine - High doses caused cancer in lab animals.
FD&C Red # 40 - Allura Red, E129 - Produces allergy-like reactions, cancer, and hyper-activity in kids.
FD&C Yellow # 5 - Tartrazine - A yellow shade found in soft drinks, energy drinks, cotton candy, flavored chips, cereals, cake mixes, pastries, sports drinks, and other convenience foods. Skin rash, skin allergies, asthma, runny nose, and hyperactivity in kids.
FD&C Yellow # 6 - Sunset yellow, E 110 - An orange shade found in DayQuill capsules, Extra strength Tylenol, fortune cookies, red sauces, chips, and yellow, orange, and red food products. It is linked to allergies, nausea, nasal congestion, and hyperactivity in kids.
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR:
This is a cheap way for a food pimp to make a flavorless, bland food taste yummy. Guess what? The Fraud and Drug Administration does not require labeling as long as the product has the "Generally Recognized As Safe" label for the ingredients. Bear in mind that lots can be hidden under the word "flavor". Just to let you know, the flavor "Vanillin", which is the synthetic version of Vanilla, is made from petroleum and benzene, a known carcinogen.
ASPARTAME:
An artificial sweetener composed of 50 percent phenylalanine, 40 percent aspartic acid, and 10 percent methanol and converts to formaldehyde at 84 degrees (the body's temperature is 98.6). If you wish to become brain dead or experience headaches, dizziness, behavioral changes, convulsions, diarrhea, memory loss, itching, hives, and weight gain (yes, you read that right), knock yourself out.
BARLEY MALT:
Safe
BENZOATES:
Antimicrobial preservatives used in food and drink to maintain flavor and extend shelf life. Linked to allergic reactions and cancer.
BETA-CAROTENE:
Safe
BROWN RICE SYRUP:
Safe
CALCIUM STEARATE:
It's a salt and used as an anti-caking agent, binder, emulsifier, filler, and foaming agent. It's used in supplements and store bought MSM pills or powders, making it worthless. No food testing has been done.
CALCIUM SULFATE:
Basically, this is chalk and is used as a coagulant.
CARMINE:
A red color that comes from crushed up red beetles. In other words, bug juice.
CARNAUBA WAX:
A vegetable wax that comes from a tree in Brazil used to coat candy, frosting, gum, and as a coating for floors and cars.
CASEIN:
AKA caseinate, calcium caseinate, ammonia caseinate, magnesium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and sodium caseinate. It is the principal protein in milk.
COCOA (alkalized)
Crapola! This "stuff" uses hydroxide to neutralize the acids in the cocoa, giving it a smoother and less bitter taste but causing the cocoa to lose up tom 90 percent of its antioxidants.
COCONUT OIL:
In food manufacturing, this is refined, bleached, deodorized, and useless. Do not confuse it with organic virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, which is highly beneficial to health.
CONFECTIONER'S GLAZE:
AKA shellac. It's the waste product of the Lac beetle in India, Myanmar, and Thailand used as a clear coating to protect candy quality. If you like eating beetle doo-doo, go for it.
CORN SYRUP:
AKA high-fructose-corn-syrup. It is a GMO, has no nutritional value, and allows you to gain weight easily.
DEXTROSE:
Comes for sugar and GMO corn. Having the same formula as glucose, the word dextrose is used because the pimps believe that people will choose dextrose over glucose. It is nothing more than refined sugar that you do not need.
EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)
A chelating agent that is toxic to cells, potentially carcinogenic, an organic pollutant, collects in ground water and can carry heavy metals back into the drinking water. It is added to canned foods to trap metal impurities. Yum!
EMULSIFIERS:
These enable foods with fat and water to stay mixed together to give a more "appealing" look and consistent texture. The most commonly used is lecithin.
FUNCTIONAL FIBERS:
We all know the importance of fiber for a healthy bowel function. There are, however, fibers that are so heavily processed that you need to avoid them like the plague.
ALGINATE has chelating properties, comes from algae and seaweed, and moves toxins out of the body. It is used in processed foods to present a "creamy" texture. Also in cereal bars, ice cream, salad dressings, cheese spreads, and frozen dinners. Propylene glycol alginate, chemically modified, thickens soda and salad dressings and stabilizes the foam in beer.
CELLULOSE comes from the indigestible part of plants and is used to thicken, prevent caking, emulsify, and gel foods.
METHYLCELLULOSE is chemically produced with the same stuff used to make Drano. If you see this on a label, run away.
GELATIN:
Comes from animal's hooves and connective tissue of animals and fish. Gumdrops are pure gelatin. Ugh!
GUMS:
Mostly from natural sources like seeds, tree sap, and seaweed. Some good; some bad.
CARRAGEENAN is carcinogenic when used as food grade (in foods).
LOCUST BEAN GUM comes from carob beans. A good one.
GUM ARABIC/ GUM ACACIA is good in foods and good in paints, glues, and textiles.
GUAR GUM is another one that okay.
XANTHAN GUM basically comes from corn and is likely a GMO.
INULIN:
Comes from chicory root and acts as a probiotic in the gut. While it binds, it removes cholesterol, fat and dangerous hormones.
LACTOSE:
Comes from milk. Caucasians, except for Scandinavians, are 75, percent lactose intolerant, Asians are 85 percent lactose intolerant, and blacks are 95 percent lactose intolerant. If you experience cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea or a runny nose and congestion after consuming milk products, you are lactose intolerant or allergic to all the antibiotics and growth hormones contained within the usual cooked to death and. devoid of all nutrients, dairy products.
MALTODEXTRIN:
For the most part it comes from corn and is likely a GMO. In Europe, where Monsanto has been kicked out of, it comes mostly from barley and wheat
MSG:
Anything modified, hydrolyzed, textured, autolyzed, protein isolates, yeast extract, and torula yeast are the most commonly used. Go to your search engine and put in MSG euphemisms and you will get a list that will blow your mind.
NITRATES and NITRITES:
Found in cured, processed, and fast food meats. They cause cancer.
OLESTRA: (Olean)
An additive to make low-fat or fat free foods. Causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps, gas and interferes with the absorption of health-protective, fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants.
PALM OIL:
Choose palm fruit oil over palm oil. Palm oil is loaded with saturated fat. If it says "modified" palm oil, take a hike. It is the highest in saturated fat and not any better than the partially hydrogenated trans fats they are used to replace, which in of itself promotes heart disease by increasing the amount of "bad" LDL cholesterol and decreasing the amount of "good" HDL cholesterol. It is by far the worst of the worst.
PECTIN:
A good guy coming from fruits, vegetables and legumes to thicken products.
POLYDEXTROSE:
Considering it comes from combining corn sugar, a GMO, with sorbitol, the GMO part is enough to turn me off. It is usually added to products containing unhealthy products and can result in diarrhea.
PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinolate):
An emulsifier and "el Cheepo" replacement for cocoa butter in chocolate bars made from castor oil. Allegedly, it is safe. Not for me it isn't!
POLYSORBATE 60:
Comes from GMO corn oil, crappy palm oil, and petroleum and leads to harmful reproductive health, organ toxicity, and cancer.
POLYSORBATE 80:
An emulsifier used in creams and lotions and is linked, as well, to cancer as well as nervous system and reproductive toxicity and can cause anaphylactic reactions.
POTASSIUM BROMATE:
This "goodie" has the distinction of being banned in just about every country in the world except the U.S. It makes you wonder if Monsanto has something to do with it. It's used in breads and has shown to cause renal cancer in rats.
PRESERVATIVES (propionates, propyl gallate, propylene glycol. Propylene glycol monosteatate):
Feet don't fail me know! The only thing good about them is you can avoid them. If you don't - hello migraines, gastrointestinal problems, toxicity to the central nervous system, kidneys, blood system, heart, yeast infections, and vaginal infections.
SOY LECITHIN AND OIL:
If it don't say organic, "give 'er a miss, mate!" Non-organic means GMO.
STEVIA:
A great herb as an alternative to sugar. I like the drops.
SUCANET:
Dehydrated sugarcane juice.
SUCRALOSE (Splenda)
An artificial sweetener made from chlorine and just as toxic as aspartame. Why couldn't they just leave in the swimming pool?
SUGAR ALCOHOLS (erythritol, lacitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol):
All okay except that lacitol comes from milk products, in case you are lactose intolerant. Xylitol is poisonous to dogs, so be careful where you keep it.
SULFITES:
Sulfites destroy vitamin B1 and folic acid. They also contribute to headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, behavioral problems, skin rashes, and asthma. AVOID!
TBHQ (tertiary butylhydoquinone):
A petroleum based, synthetic, food-grade antioxidant used to preserve unsaturated vegetable oils, animal fats, frozen fish, and some chocolate. It is also used in perfume, varnish, lacquer, and resins. It is associated with nausea, vomiting, and ringing in the ears.
TITANIUM DIOXIDE (E171)
Used as an artificial color to make foods white, especially dairy products, skin-care products, toothpaste, sunscreen, paper, paint, and more. Symptoms can be skin rash, muscle pain, and fatigue.
Well, there you go. Maybe I didn't get everything but I sure got enough for you to make an informed choice. And if by chance, it's already in your system how do you get rid of it? The oxygen released by the organic sulfur crystals works miracles.
Aloha!
About the author:
I have been doing a weekly radio show in Honolulu since 1981 called "Health Talk". In 2007 I was "forced" to get a Masters degree in Nutrition because of all the doctors that would call in asking for my credentials. They do not call in anymore. Going to www.healthtalkhawaii.com enables you, among other things, to listen to the shows. I am an activist. In addition to espousing an organic vegan diet for optimum health, I am strongly opposed to GMOs, vaccines, processed foods, MSG, aspartame, fluoridation and everything else that the pimps (Big Pharma, Monsanto and the large food companies) and the hookers (the doctors, the government agencies, the public health officials, and the mainstream media) thrust upon us, the tricks.
After being vaccinated with the DTP vaccine as a child I developed asthma. After taking the organic sulfur crystals (they are harvested from the pine trees in Louisiana) in November of 2008 for 10 days my asthma reversed and has not come back over 4 years later, 18 cases, so far, of autism have been reversed, as has cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, osteoarthritis, joint pain, astigmatism, gum disease, increased sexual activity, heavy metal and radiation elimination, parasite elimination, free radicals elimination, faster athletic recovery time, increased blood circulation, reduced inflammation, resistance to getting the flu, reduction of wrinkles, allergy reduction, reduced PMS and monthly period pain, nausea, migraines and so much more. And it's only possible because of the oxygen it releases that floods the cells of the body. The sulfur, as proven by the University of Southampton in England, enables the body to produce vitamin B12 and the essential amino acids.
