The majority of the population simply takes a quick glance at food labels without ever realizing how many toxic additives are present in the foods they actively consume on a daily basis. As we will discuss down below, words such as, “Citric Acid”, or “Natural Flavors” sound innocent and safe.
However this isn’t the case because they are often made in a lab using toxic solvents and various shortcuts specifically designed for extending shelf life, improving taste, possibly making it more addictive, and ultimately maximizing profit. The last thing big food companies think about is your health and well-being.
Take Natural Flavors for example, an extremely broad term basically stating it can be sourced from anything and everything (animals, microbes, plants), then processed with solvents. Even natural coloring is often highly refined, sometimes sourced from petroleum or even insect parts.
Even citric acid, seemingly harmless, but often made by fermenting sugar with black mold, not from citrus fruit as many would ignorantly assume. We will also briefly discuss other common toxic additives such as MSG, soy lecithin, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and carrageenan, found in various supplements, snacks, restaurants and drinks.
The big food industry uses these additives to keep food cheap, visually appealing and extremely addictive. Stick to farm fresh food and you’ll be able to avoid the stress from constantly having to guess what is in your food thanks to vague labels and how it’s being processed.
- Citric Acid – Most citric acid is not sourced from fruit, instead, it’s produced by fermenting sugar with black mold (Aspergillus niger). It’s used as a preservative and flavour enhancer in countless processed foods. While considered safe, research links it to inflammation and allergic reaction in sensitive people. A mold byproduct sold as “natural.”
- Natural Flavours – “Natural Flavours” sounds healthy, however is a vague, catch-all label. They come from plant or animal sources, yet are often heavily processed. Solvents and carriers, such as propylene glycol, alcohol or hexane can be included. Used to boost taste, they also mask cheap or bland ingredients. The exact source is rarely disclosed, often leaving consumers clueless and entirely unaware of what they are consuming. Some have been directly linked to skin and gut irritation, hyperactivity, and are banned in Europe, yet still used elsewhere. Because the term “natural flavors” is so broad, they may contain various solvents, preservatives, or other chemicals that aren’t listed, that being said, they can also contain natural allergens, so people with food allergies should be extremely cautious.
- Soy Lecithin – Soy Lecithin is an emulsifier made from the left over sludge from refining soybean oil, which is also an extremely toxic product. Most of it this toxic byproduct is sourced from GMO soy grown ladened with pesticides. It’s often found in many baked goods, salad dressings, chocolate, as well as a good amount of protein powders to prevent ingredients from separating. What side effects can you expect? Potentially, allergic reactions as well as hormone disruption and digestive distress.
- Natural Colours – The specific components of “natural flavors” are considered proprietary information by manufacturers and are not disclosed on ingredient labels or to consumers. Most people assume these are simply sourced from fruit extracts. They can come from petroleum-based compounds, algae and even crushed beetles (carmine). Natural Colours are labeled as such to look innocent, but are added to many processed foods to make them appear vibrant or more fresh than they really are.
- Sodium Benzoate – This is a cheap, but effective (at killing bacteria) preservative that extends shelf life and is found in soft drinks, pickles, sauces and many juices. On its own it elevates concerns, however, when combined with vitamin C, it can create benzene which is a well-known carcinogen. They have also found this ingredient to be linked to various behavioral issues and hyperactivity in children.
- Carrageenan – Extracted from red seaweed but heavily processed, it is used to thicken sauces, desserts, plant milks and more. Why is this added to so many foods and drinks? Simple, it provides food with a creamy texture, sounds good right? The issue here is that there are several studies that have shown carrageenan to be extremely inflammatory and irritating to our gut. It has also been shown to create ulcers and digestive distress, yet so many food companies utilize it because it is effective at thickening products and extremely cheap to produce.
- MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) – MSG is made by fermenting starch, sugar beets or corn to manufacture free glutamate, then bonded with sodium. It creates the extremely affordable, yet addictive “umami” flavour in instant noodles, chips, and soups. It’s also a very common ingredient used at so many restaurants. In fact, I called 20+ PHO restaurants 2 years ago and all but one used MSG in all of their broth. It’s cheap for food companies, but it can cause headaches, brain fog, and flushing. It’s a laboratory trick designed to make cheap food taste gourmet.
- High Fructose Corn Syrup – Perhaps one of the most damaging sweeteners ever produced. The Process is formulated by simply converting cornstarch into an extremely cost-effective, overly-sweet, liquid sugar. It is added into virtually everything, from cereals, soft drinks, sauces and various snacks. It can influence various diseases, diabetes, fatty liver, obesity and even create food intolerances. Unlike natural sugars, it is stripped of its nutrients. This is a major influencer of metabolic disease especially more than ever before in today’s modern world.
- Potassium Bromate – This is perhaps one of the most dangerous additives that is still being added all around the world to various products such as bread flour by helping bread rise higher and strengthening the dough. It has been proven time and time again to be a very toxic carcinogen, banned in Canada & Europe, but still legal in Australia and the U.S. It is a hidden toxin. It is a hidden toxin that is still present even after baking it right into the bread.
- Aspartame – This is an extremely controversial artificial sweetener that many people love to defend. It is commonly found in protein powder supplements, diet drinks such as coke zero, and many “sugar-free” snacks. It was originally marketed as a “healthy” alternative to sugar, however it is anything but that. It has been linked to headaches, mood disorders, neurological disorders, gut disruption, and even labeled as a “possible carcinogen.”
Check out this article by Dr. Ray Peat PH.D: “We have to remember that the arguments made for aspartame, monosodium glutamate, aspartic acid, and tryptophan – that they are like the amino acids that make up natural proteins – are dangerously false. In the case of amino acids, balance is everything. Aspartic acid and glutamic acids promote seizures and cause brain damage, and are intimately involved in the process of stress-induced brain aging, and tryptophan by itself is carcinogenic. Treating any complex natural product as the drug industry does, as a raw material to be fractionated in the search for “drug” products, is risky, because the relevant knowledge is not sought in the search for an association between a single chemical and a single disease.
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In Christ,
Nick & Nathan
