Food Additives and Unhealthiness

Food Additives and sicknessWhat is a nourishment running(a)? As st ingestd by the U.S. commandment of Federal Regulations, Title 21-Food and Drugs, Food additives includes all hearts non exempted by role 201(s) of the act, the intended economic consumption of which results or whitethorn reasonably be pass judgment to result, directly or indirectly, either in their become a divisor of solid nutrient or new(prenominal)wise locomoteing the characteristics of forage. harmonise to an article by S.E. Smith, solid regimen Additives are chemical substances added in victuals to enhance pencil eraserty, flavor, appearance, and metric grain of the food. With pop additives, several foods would be green and sour before they level get out to the store shelves. Sugar would clump up together, mayonnaise would separate, and cotton sugarcoat would be hard as a rock. in that respect are deuce types of food additives, direct and indirect. Direct Additives are those added to fo od intentionally, to cr work throughe a desired look. Indirect additives are those that are added unintentionally while the food was being processed, packaged, stored, or however it was handled. Most direct additives are listed on the food labels, since this is a general rule for manufacturers. Based on the EHSO website, on that point are five main reasons why food additives are utilise to improve nutritional value to obligate product consistency to maintain its whole slightlyness provide leavening and enhance the color and flavor. The use of food additives is iodine of the major(ip) issues to day succession. It stirs confusion and lodge ins whether these additives being added to the foodstuff is in fact safe or dangerous.Food additives have been apply for thousands of years. As there is no exact history of when and how food additives were detect, it is assumed by researchers that additives were first used when pieces have learned to preserve their crops on different harvest times. However, the productivity of the food and achieving a desired look has been practiced for centuries, from the Egyptian to Roman times and up until today. Both groups have used food colorings, spices, and differentwise additives to enhance the appearance and taste of their food. Historically, salt, herbs, and certain fats were used as processing aids. Salt was used to preserve hams, add flavor to the foods, and to go out fermentation of vegetables and fishes. Given that there were no food inspections back in the days, food manufacturers took advantage of putting more(prenominal) than enough of additives in their food products and adulterating them, to deceive consumers. According to John Farley, chalks, whiting, and ashes of b bingles were used as flour in bread, and adulterations like this were comm merely practiced then.Most great deal are not aware that food additives are in almost all the foods. They take the additives for granted. People who say they dont like che micals in their food had better get used to it, stated Fergus Clydesdale Ph.D., A professor and star of the department of food science at the University of Massachusetts. E truly food is do up of thousands of chemicals. More than 90 portion of food additives come from compounds that were originally found in nature. As more consumers demand for a more appealing and convenient food with vitamins and other nutritious ingredients that are scatty in ones body, manufacturers have developed food products that meet those demands using often(prenominal) chemical substances. In addition to that, companies have to a fault produced food that lasts prolonged by using preservatives. However, before additives bath be used in foods, manufacturers must first file a petition to the FDA for approval. The FDA regulates and goes through rigorous studies and tests to determine the amount of safety levels of different food additives before decision making to release it to the food indus fork up .According to the FAIA, an association that represents UK manufacturers, without the use of food additives, the foods in the markets, restaurants, and even those cooked from home, would look and taste unusual, and the benefits that the additives have to offer would not exist. The FAIA, similarly known as the Food Additives and Ingredients Association, supports food additives and promotes their essentials to the public. They have concluded that having food additives and preservatives are necessary, especially in todays world where importing and exporting is becoming higher(prenominal)ly popular. As stated in their site, using additives reduces waste, and the need of resurrect lands, water, and energy.But, are people to a fault aware of the downside of the chemical substances being added to their food? And how much(prenominal)(prenominal) additive earth-closet equal them if consumed too much? For centuries, and up to now, the food industry has been constantly producing chemical additives to manipulate, preserve and alter the food products. Such manipulation arsehole have a great found on ones body. Some consumers have concerns of whether all additives that have already been well-tried are really safe or not. Even those that are okay by the FDA ordure be risky for those who have allergic reactions to such food because of the additives that were added in them. M each people are also concern of the side effects food additives have brought to them and their children. Common concerns include untoward reaction, ADHD, and other allergies.The people that are most have-to doe withed by the use of food additives are the children, because they start consuming as infants, but human bodies were not developed to be exposed to a certain microscope stage of chemicals and food additives. ADHD, otherwise known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is one major concern for parents. According on webMD health news, there is a new subscribe to that insinuates t hat the use of chemical additives in the food mint extend the cause of hyperactivity amongst children. Food colorings and preservatives affect a childs ability to condense and learn. A study in the UK acknowledged that artificial food colorings and other additives sum ups the mean level of hyperactivity in children aged 3 and 8 to 9 years. These children were divided into groups having 153 three-year-olds as one group and 144 eight to nine-year-old as the other. Both group received drinks containing sodium benzoate and artificial food colorings. These results showed an increase in overactive, impulsive, and inattentive behavior. Monosodium glutamate is also one example that fire intemperately affect a childs behavior. monosodium glutamate is an excitotoxin, which means that it acts to over flap the neurons of the rally nervous system causing physical and mental problems which can exacerbate and become permanent damages.Aside from ADHD, children and even adults can suffer f rom corpulency as well. Even those that have been FDA approved can be a contribution to obesity. Children who ate processed foods in fast food restaurants ate at least 126 calories than on days they did not. Throughout the year, these children have gained or so 13 pounds just from fast food. sodium nitrate can be found in processed mettles, as this is convenient, cheap, and can produce a lot, most fast food chains often choose this as their best choice of meat to provide to consumers. Sodium nitrate is actually dangerous, since it is believed to be the primary cause of pancreatic cancer in homo even if consumed with a moderate quantity. Manufacturers use this type of chemical substance because it turns the meat bright red, which again attracts consumers. Monosodium glutamate, again, is one of the main additives that can establish to obesity. Up to now, scientists injects MSG on lab rats to use in victuals and diabetes test studies, where they found out that monosodium glutamat e can be a ingredient of obesity, but still, manufacturers use it to enhance flavor and induce consumers into liking their products. MSG is an addictive substance, causing people to eat more, thus leading to obesity. In fact, the dosage of prepackaged meals, fast foods, and other fast foods have increase each time, as the FDA has not set a limit of how much it can be added to the foods. They had asserted that it is safe to eat in any amount. The reason why MSG is added to food is because it helps the elderly eat more, as Glutamate Association stated, Studies have found that adding MSG to certain foods, such as soup and mashed potatoes, has been successful in increasing the food intake in institutionalized elderly populations. But this amino acid can agitate body organs especially the champion. Too much MSG in the brain can overexcite the neurons causing migraines and headaches as well. There are other symptoms that have been reported too numbness, burning sensation, facial pressur e or tightness, chest pain, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, weakness, and have difficulty breathing for people with asthma. Although, some expertness not have side effect, others can become actually sick. Aside from obesity, these additives can cause other side effects as well. Another chemical additive people should be concerned somewhat is aspartame, which has over 92 reported side effects, and one of them weight gainer. According to Janet Starr Hull, aspartame can lead to side effect and adverse reactions including eye problems such as decreased in vision, pain in one or both eyes and blindness ear problems such as sense of hearing impairment neurologic diseases like epileptic seizures, migraines, memory loss, and severe tremors psychological ailments such as depression, insomnia, and aggression and other serious reactions like fork over defects, brain damage, death, and more more. Foods that include hydrogenated fats or oils can also lead to obesity. As a typical body, it is essential to have fatty acids to wait on normally, but a hydrogenated fat has zero essential fatty acids. It prevents the concentration of nutrients in other words its nutrient dead. So not only does it not have nutrients, it also takes away nutrients from other food. Another catastrophic type of fat is called trans fatty acids or TFA which is found in most processed foods.According to an article from the PR Newswire, pancreatic cancer is change magnitude by 6700 percent due to the chemical additives that has been added during the processing of the meats. A study led by Dr. Ute Nothlings was done at the University of Hawaii having people eat a large amount of processed meats, revealed that although there is no special(prenominal) evidence that sodium nitrate actually causes cancer, something in the processed meat triggers this. The chemical substances that were added during the packaging of the meat have somewhat contributed to causing cancer. There are a a couple of(prenominal) studies that link processed food and pancreatic cancer together as to how sodium nitrate link up with leukemia and brain tumors in children and infants. Artificial food colors contain oil and other petrochemicals. According to an article on AvainWeb, the human body is not used to consuming petrochemicals due to the fact that it causes risk to the health. As the food companies want to attract consumers, manufacturers use petrochemicals in their food products, without taking into tale the health conditions it can affect on people. However, quite a few of artificial colors have been removed from stores and have also been prohibited, because it has been discovered that it can cause cancer. Even natural food color can be harmful too. Allergic reactions can still be triggered even with natural food additives. Carmine, which many people are not aware of, is made out of insects and other chemicals. It is used as a food dye in products such as juice, yogurt, ice crea m, and candies. Soft drinks, flavored minerals, harvest-feast drinks these all contain benzene in them. Benzene is another additive that people should be alert of as this can cause nausea, rapid heart rate, and death. Based on the AvianWeb, benzene can lead to an keen myelogenous leukemia when consumed too much, which is a cancer of the blood-forming organs. Benzene can have major affect on the bone marrow and decreases red blood cells which can lead to anemia. isolated from those side effects, benzene can also affect the immune system due to excessive bleeding, which can increase a chance for infections. It is not certain, but they have also mentioned that benzene could affect fertility in men and irregular menstrual period and the decrease in size of the ovaries for women.According to Jean Weiss, a contributor to MSN wellness and Fitness, there is a few more food additives people should be aware of such as olestra, sulfite, sodium chloride, and even caffeine. Olestra is known a s synthetic fat that inhibits fat from getting absorbed in ones digestive system. It can have serious side effects, as it grabs the beneficial nutrients out of the body. Useful nutrients like carotenoids, which protects the body from diseases including lung and prostate cancer, heart disease and macular degeneration. Apart from those diseases, olestra can also cause diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and other gastrointestinal problems. Sulfite is a common preservative that is used on dried fruits, bottled fruit drinks, gravies, and many more. Based on an article by Dr. Blaylock, this additive can also be harmful to ones health as it can be fatal, increase asthma symptoms for those who are asthmatics, causing damages to the nervous system, damaging ones brain or causing other brain diseases like Alzheimers or Parkinsons. It can also cause depression, panic attacks, and anxiety. Allergies such as hives and anaphylaxis can also be triggered by being exposed to sulfites. Another additive th at people are already aware of when shopping for groceries is sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is commonly known as table salt. Yes, it is used every day by almost everyone. processed food usually contains a high level of sodium chloride, and people should really be careful. During the refining process, the 99.9 percent sodium chloride in the table salt will be diminish and the natural minerals will be stripped away and be replaced with aluminum and anti-caking agents. Consuming too much sodium chloride can affect ones kidney and suprarenal gland glands, reduces calcium and other valuable nutrients found in the body. It can also contribute to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Caffeine, which is found naturally in coffee, tea and cocoa, can elevate the stomach-acid secretion causing peptic ulcers. It can also affect reproduction and cause possess defects such as cleft palates, missing fingers and deformity of the skull. Caffeine can be very addicting that is why some people have a hard time stopping themselves from consuming too much sodas, coffee, and other drinks containing this additive. People who try to withdraw themselves from using caffeine will have symptoms such as headaches, drowsiness, and bad tempers. Pregnant women or those who are planning to get heavy(predicate) should avoid consuming caffeine as this can cause birth defects and miscarriage.Avoiding toxins and the chemical additives mentioned is an important step to help improve lowering the risks of diseases. Toxins may affect ones health causing minor side effects and other health conditions. Those that have immediate effects may feel headaches, might feel a change in their energy level, and may affect their mental concentration, behavior or immune response. Those with long-term effects could be at risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health conditions. By avoiding certain additives and by not consuming such chemical substances on a regular basis, it can h elp improve ones health resulting to a longer healthy life.Works CitedBlaylock, Russell. WEEKLY TIP Sulfite Hidden insecurity in Food. Newsmax health.(May 2010). June 30, 2010. .Diseases Attributed to Food Additives. AvianWeb. AvianWeb LLC. June 30, 2010. .Environmental Health Safety Online. Advantages of Food Additives. (2006). June 28 2010. .Farley, John. Section II. Considerations On The Adulteration Of Bread And Flour. Chest of Books. June 29, 2010. .PR Newswire. Bacon, Sausage, Hot Dogs and Processed Meats Hike Cancer Risk by 6700% Due to Chemical Preservative, Says Nutritionist. flavour Extension. (April 2005). June 30, 2010. .Smith, S.E. What Are Food Additives?. Wise Geek. June 28, 2010. Food Additives and Ingredients Association. The FAIA. (2010). June 28, 2010. Food Additives and Ingredients Association. Why Do We Need Food Additives. (2010). June 28, 2010. Lambert, Craig. The Way We Eat Now. Harvard Magazine. (2004). June 30, 2010. Weiss, Jean. 12 Food Additives to A void. Health Fitness. MSN. June 30, 2010. .Solomon H. Katz. Additives. Encyclopedia of Food Culture. Ed. Vol. 1. Gale Cengage, 2003. eNotes.com. 2006. 28 Jun, 2010 additives.