Christine Wilkinson, MS, RD, LDN, Dietitian at Cooper, was interviewed by FOX29 about a list of the 10 scariest food additives, according to Men’s Health Magazine. Among the list are Olestra, Caramel Coloring, Saccharin, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil and Sulfites. Wilkinson said the additives included in soda may be the most problematic since people tend to drink a lot of soda to begin with.
The 10 Scariest Food Additives: MyFoxPHILLY.com
- Olestra- A Fat substitute usually found in low/no fat chips that binds fats, preventing them from being broken down in our digestive system. Since our bodies cannot digest these bound fats, “loose stool” becomes a problematic side effect associated with Olestra consumption.
- Caramel Coloring –An artificial ingredient created by burning sugars and often times, ammonia. When caramel coloring is created using ammonia, 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole which have been linked to cancer in mice. While some caramel coloring is created without ammonia, food manufactures are not required to disclose that information to their labels.
- Saccharin- An artificial sweetener previously accompanied by an FDA warning label from 1977-2000 due to cancer links. Although, the FDA has since removed saccharin warning labels, recent studies have linked increased fat in rats fed the sweetener vs rats fed table sugar.
- Potassium Bromate- Most commonly used to puff up breads, Potassium Bromate is banned in numerous countries and has show increased thyroid & kidney tumors in rats. In the U.S. California requires foods containing the substance to carry a cancer warning on the label.
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)-Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives, BHA & BHT are most commonly used to keep chewing gum & cereals fresh. Despite human carcinogenic warnings from the Department of Health and Human Services the FDA has yet to ban the additives
To read the rest of the 10 Scariest Food Additives visit the Men’s HealthMagazine article HERE