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Top Ten Food Additives to Avoid

Wed 4th Jul, 2012 - 7:44am by Emma Cockrell

Hungry for Change have produced a really helpful guide to food additives. For a printable shopping guide click here. Those following a Nutritionhelp programme will automatically be avoiding most of the additives listed, but this provides a good check list  to ensure you are purchasing quality foods. Over the next few days I will list a couple of the additives at a time.

 1. Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame, (E951) more popularly known as Nutrasweet and Equal, is often found in foods labeled “diet” or “sugar free”. Aspartame is believed to be carcinogenic and accounts for more reports of adverse reactions than all other foods and food additives combined. Aspartame is not your friend. Aspartame is a neurotoxin and carcinogen. Known to erode intelligence and affect short-term memory, the components of this toxic sweetener may lead to a wide variety of ailments including brain tumor, diseases like lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks, dizziness, headaches, nausea, mental confusion, migraines and seizures.

Acesulfame-K, a relatively new artificial sweetener found in baking goods, gum and gelatin, has not been thoroughly tested and has been linked to kidney tumors. Read more about the dangers ofAspartame here. Found in: diet or sugar free sodas, diet coke, coke zero, jello (and over gelatins), desserts, sugar free gum, drink mixes, baking goods, table top sweeteners, cereal, breathmints, pudding, kool-aid, ice tea, chewable vitamins, toothpaste.
2. High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly-refined artificial sweetener which has become the number one source of calories in America. It is found in almost all processed foods. HFCS packs on the pounds faster than any other ingredient, increases your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and contributes to the development of diabetes and tissue damage, among other harmful effects. Found in:most processed foods, breads, candy, flavored yogurts, salad dressings, canned vegetables, cereals.