It can be very difficult to buy food these days when you are trying to be healthy.  It is hard to know what is good and what is bad, that is why it is so important to read labels.  Rule of thumb for me is to always try and buy fresh and unprocessed foods.  I know that is not realistic for all families, so here is a list of things to look for on labels, so you know which products to avoid or limit.    

(One thing to keep in mind is that the order of prevalence of an ingredient in a food is listed in descending order on the label.) 

1. Added Sugars (Avoid / Limit)

If you have not noticed sugar is put into almost all processed foods, many times being the first ingredient.  I have seen labels that listed not only sugar, but also high fructose corn syrup and and artificial sugar.  Added sugar is any sugars that have been added to foods that are not naturally occurring in the ingredients.  Added sugar to the diet over time has been found to increase fat in not only the tissue right under the skin (subcutaneous), but also the fat around your organs (visceral).¹  This added visceral fat comes with a host of health concerns.  It is not necessarily the consumption of the sugar that it is the problem.  The problem comes when you over eat sugar beyond what your body uses for energy, for it is at that point it gets stored as fat.  If all you are eating is processed food, then you are more than likely intaking more sugar than your body can use.  This can lead to obesity, cardiovascular issues, pre-diabetes and diabetes.  The average US Citizen consumes about 150 pounds of refined sugar every year (34-37 tsp per day), which is a 39% increase from 1950.  The USDA recommends no more than 10 tsp per day.²  Most of this intake has been found to be in beverages, snacks and sweets.  The goal is to avoid all added sugars, but there are some you can just limit.  You really want the sugar that you intake to be the natural sugar found in the food, not from it being added to the process. The EU Council has banned adding sugar to fruit juices.³   Here are some of the common added sugars. 

• Raw, Brown, White sugars (Avoid)
• Corn Sweetener (Avoid)
• Malt Syrup (Limit)
• Turbinado Sugar (Avoid)
• Rice Syrup (Avoid)
• Date Sugar (Limit)
• Glucose (Avoid)
• Fructose (Avoid)
• Lactose (Avoid)
• Maltose (Avoid)
• Honey (Limit)
• High Fructose Corn Syrup (Avoid)
• Invert Sugar (Avoid)
• Trehalose (Limit)
• Maple Sugar and Syrup (Limit)
• Caramel (Avoid)
• Agave Sugar (Limit)
• Dextrose (Avoid)
• Dextrin (Avoid)
• Molasses (Limit)

2.  Artificial Dyes / Colors (Avoid)

One thing you will find in many kids foods are artificial dyes and colors, especially in cereals.  Now of course they are in more than just kid’s foods, you can find them in candy, snacks, beverages, and supplements.  There are currently 40 color additives approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.  There are 9 artificial dyes; Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6.⁴  With the most common ones being Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6.   

“Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 contain benzidene, a human and animal carcinogen permitted in low, presumably safe levels in dyes. The FDA calculated in 1985 that ingestion of free benzidine raises the cancer risk to just under the “concern” threshold (1 cancer in 1 million people).  Bound benzidene also has been detected in dyes in much greater amounts than free benzidene, but routine FDA tests measure only free contaminants, overlooking the bound moiety.  Intestinal enzymes release bound benzidene, “so we could be exposed to vastly greater amounts of carcinogens than FDA’s routine tests indicate,” says Jacobson—especially considering today’s children are exposed to multiple dyes and flavoring agents and other added chemicals in foods.”⁵

This review finds that all of the nine currently US-approved dyes raise health concerns of varying degrees. Red 3 causes cancer in animals, and there is evidence that several other dyes also are carcinogenic. Three dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) have been found to be contaminated with benzidine or other carcinogens. At least four dyes (Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) cause hypersensitivity reactions. Numerous microbiological and rodent studies of Yellow 5 were positive for genotoxicity. Toxicity tests on two dyes (Citrus Red 2 and Orange B) also suggest safety concerns, but Citrus Red 2 is used at low levels and only on some Florida oranges and Orange B has not been used for several years.⁶  “Artificially colored food made with dyes derived from petroleum and coal tar. Yellow 5, Red 40 and six others dyes – used to enhance products from Fruit Loops to Nutri-Grain cereal bars – are called the “rainbow risk” by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. They are banned in Norway, Finland, France, Austria and the U.K.”⁷

3. Vegetable / Seed Oils (Avoid)

These seed oils are many times highly processed and rancid by the time the consumer buys them. Vegetable oils are many times listed as being hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, which is when hydrogen is added.  The ultimate result is trans fat.  Too much trans fat in your diet can lead to heart disease and other health issues.  Canola oil is made from canola seed (rapeseeds) and is dissolved in a hexane solvent.

Canola Oil (Rapeseed Oil) Production video

List of seed oils:

• Peanut Oil
• Canola Oil
• Palm Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Linseed Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Cottonsead Oil
• Corn Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Rice Bran Oil 

4. Artificial Flavors (Avoid)

“The term artificial flavor or artificial flavoring means any substance, the function of which is to impart flavor, which is not derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof.”⁸  They are synthetic versions made in a lab.  Human safety studies are lacking, so I would avoid at this time. 

5. Genetically Modified (Avoid)

“Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called “modern biotechnology” or “gene technology”, sometimes also “recombinant DNA technology” or “genetic engineering”. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods.”⁹ Common names on labels include; GMO, Genetically Modified, and Bioengineered.  The effects of this have not been widely studied on humans, and the way the genetic modification expresses itself can not always be anticipated and even recognized.   The direct risks of GMO are expressions of allergenic proteins and changes in metabolic concentrations.  For instance, after a Brazil nut proteins were genetically modified into a soybean, the soybean provoked a Brazil nut allergy.  The indirect risks are that they are exposed to an increased level of pesticides because it can be sprayed more often without risk of killing the plant. 

“In the European Union the following countries have banned GMOS:  France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Poland, Denmark, Malta, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia.  In Africa; Algeria and Madagascar.  In Asia; Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan and Saudi Arabia.  Finally, in the Americas; Belize, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.  The United Stages has no official legislation banning GMOS.”¹⁰

6.  MSG (Avoid)

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer used restaurant food, canned food, soups, and many other processed foods.  They can also be found in your seasoning mix.  There are a limited amount of human studies and many of them need more specific perimeters.  With that being said, there are some studies that show a connection to headaches and cardiovascular issues.¹¹  Best way to avoid is to limit processed meats, fast food, and Chinese takeout. 

7.  Guar Gum (Avoid)

Guar Gum is a thickener in foods such as; ice cream and sauces.  It is a long chain carbohydrate.  For those with IBD or IBS or gut issues, then Guar Gum can actually aggravate the inflammation.¹²  

8. Xanthan Gum (Avoid)

Xanthan Gum is an additive made in a lab used as a thickener.  It is found in food and cleaning products.  The body cannot digest it and in turn it can cause digestive issues. 

9.  BHA / BHT (Avoid)

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) are preservatives in food and personal care products.  They are considered cancer causing and allergy inducing.  A government report stated that they are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.¹³ They are banned for use food and beverages in the UK, Japan, European Union and many other countries.  

10.  Sodium Nitrate / Nitrite (Avoid)

This is a common preservative in cured meats such as; deli meat, bacon and jerky.  There are cancer risks associate with them.  It is banned in Norway and Sweden, while Sweden, Finland, and Denmark have strict regulations on them. 

Conclusion

As with most things it is the continuous use that causes the harm.  For many of these it is the accumulation of said ingredient in your body over time that causes issues.   If you eat something with these ingredients do not beat yourself up, just do better next time.  Sometimes it is unavoidable.  The goal here is to have the knowledge in order to make the wisest decision you can when buying your food.   

Sources:

1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2047487320931303?journalCode=cprc
2. https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/gfnd/gfhnrc/docs/news-2012/the-question-of-sugar/#:~:text=The%20average%20American%20eats%20(or,sugars%20per%20person%20each%20year.
3. https://www.courthousenews.com/eu-council-bans-added-sugar-in-fruit-juices/#:~:text=The%20rule%20makes%20it%20illegal,%22%20on%20fruit%2Djuice%20labels.
4.  https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additive-inventories/summary-color-additives-use-united-states-foods-drugs-cosmetics-and-medical-devices
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2957945/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23026007/
7. https://blog.aarp.org/healthy-living/8-foods-we-eat-that-other-countries-ban#:~:text=Yellow%205%2C%20Red%2040%20and,France%2C%20Austria%20and%20the%20U.K.
8. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.22
9. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/food-genetically-modified#:~:text=Genetically%20modified%20organisms%20(GMOs)%20can,mating%20and%2For%20natural%20recombination.
10. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-that-ban-gmos
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5938543/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8180737/
13. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/well/eat/food-additives-banned-europe-united-states.html

*This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

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