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3 Reasons to Avoid Food Additives

Published July 03, 2015

Food additives are things added to food during processing, typically to enhance color or freshness. While some of them are natural, many aren't—and all those unnatural additives can cause nasty side effects. Think about the artificial sweeteners hiding in diet soft drinks, or the emulsifiers (used to keep food from separating) in the salad dressing sitting in your refrigerator. Just these two things alone could easily destroy gut health. ^[1] ^[2] ^[3] But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unnatural additives. Also, when you realize that most of them aren't even tested for safety at all…well, it's enough to make you extremely confused. ^[4]

Crucial Reasons Why You Should Avoid Food Additives

Food additives aren't inert ingredients; they're active and present a real health risk. If you know the reasons why food additives are dangerous, it may help you steer clear of certain foods that may contribute to longterm health concerns. So while there are more reasons than we could count as to why you should avoid food additives altogether, here are 3 more you really need to know.

1. Food Additives Destroys Heart Health

A recent study suggests eating lots of phosphate-rich foods like soda, processed cheese, baking powder, and many processed foods increases production of the FGF23 hormone, which can put a strain on the heart. ^[5] And research from the American Heart Association also suggests men should cut processed red meat out of their diets because of an increased risk of heart failure. ^[6] While a study with women is expected soon, in the meantime, let's all stop eating such things. And remember: limiting your intake of processed red meat is always a good idea as well.

2. Food Additives Disrupts Hormone Balance

Like I mentioned above, the FDA doesn't really regulate what's in our food. That said, a recent study found propyl paraben, an endocrine disruptor, in many American snack foods. ^[8]

3. Make Kids Misbehave

Recent research out of Australia even suggests some additives—even the ones in those "healthy" snacks—can lead to mood swings and irritability in kids. For instance, cultured dextrose (also known as calcium propionate)—one such additive in healthy breads and wraps—can cause "irritability, fatigue or insomnia." ^[9] There's even some evidence suggesting that hydrolyzed vegetable protein—a "natural" substitute for MSG–can even cause problems. ^[10] The best thing to do is to make sure you're reading those labels and keeping snacks as simple as possible–maybe even making them from scratch.

Things to Keep in Mind

There is some recent talk by US organizations suggesting the FDA's food additive process violets law. ^[11] But we shouldn't be surprised when we're discussing the food industry's slow action against dangerous ingredients. Trans fat, for instance, was just banned after years of research indicating its health concerns. If you're wanting to purchase processed foods of any type, try to find ones that are made with natural preservatives. But one of your best bets is organic—preferably raw—food made to reduce your exposure to pesticides and other additives. ^[12] (Babies, especially, can benefit from this kind of diet.)

Thankfully, consumer awareness and demand has prompted some companies to change, so maybe (one day) additives will be a thing of the past. Until then, though, what do you do to avoid additives? Tell us in the comments.

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM