Navigating the Processed World
April 23, 2024
Writer: Ella Javorsky
Editor: Lily Miro
As our society continues to modernize, customs evolve, and new norms develop. Similarly, new technologies transform manufacturing processes and how we develop our food and products. The American diet has changed dramatically since 1958, when Congress gave the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to ensure the safety of chemicals in food (Birnbaum, 2017). Since then, however, thousands of chemicals have entered the food system, and their long-term, chronic effects have been understudied, which poses risks to human health. In a world where the phrase “we are what we eat” holds true, we must recognize the dangers in our food and avoid harmful chemicals/ingredients. Life is all about balance, but learning about these risks and being aware is a step towards taking control of our health and monitoring what we put into our bodies. Below are nine of the many ingredients that pose risks to human health.
Artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are a combination of chemicals used to make our foods sweeter without the calories of sugar. Still, they have been linked to numerous side effects: headaches, nausea, anxiety, depression, dementia, skin rashes, and more.
Refined sugar
Generally, people in the US consume 130-160 pounds of sugar per year, meaning that we’re consuming half a cup of sugar a day! This high intake can cause elevated insulin levels, which can lead to weight gain, bloating, fatigue, arthritis, migraines, lowered immune function, obesity, cavities, and cardiovascular disease.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
MSG is a common food additive used to enhance flavor in foods such as canned vegetables, frozen entrées, fast foods, and soups. Many people have experienced side effects, including headaches, itchy skin, or respiratory and digestive issues.
Artificial colors
Food coloring is usually a synthetic chemical produced by scientists to color food, but many are derived from coal tar and can contain up to 10 parts per million of lead and arsenic. Still, they are deemed “safe” by the FDA.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHS) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
BHS is a food additive that has caused stomach-focused carcinogens in trials involving mice, hamsters, and rats. The US Department of Health and Human Services has deemed BHA “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” These food preservatives are often found in cereals, gum, fast food, processed potatoes, drink mixes, shortening, snack foods, and so on. The compounds are also found in food packaging, animal feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber, and plastics.
Partially hydrogenated oils
These oils are made by reacting different varieties of oil with oxygen, which reduces the level of polyunsaturated oils and creates trans fat. They are added to produce to enhance appearance and increase shelf life, but they are associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, and elevated cholesterol. They are found in many commercially baked goods, microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, and peanut butter brands like skippy.
Sodium nitrate and nitrite
These are preservatives added to processed meat products to enhance red color and flavor, but the compounds transform into cancer-causing agents known as nitrosamines in the stomach. Side effects include headaches, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO)
This oil is used to keep flavor oils in soft drinks in suspension, and this additive can lead to reproductive issues and birth defects. It has been banned in 100 countries, and it is less common in modern food applications, but it is important to look out for this oil in products.
Olestra (Olean)
Olestra is a calorie-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free chemical created to eliminate the need for fattening cooking oil but still bring the flavor to traditionally fatty foods like chips and fries. It is found in many diet versions of food products like chips, frozen yogurt, and more. Once again, this product was banned in many other European countries but is FDA approved in the US. It is linked to gastrointestinal disease and symptoms.
It is certainly not necessary to eliminate all nine of these ingredients from our diet, but it is incredibly useful to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies and the risks chemicals in food can have. Life is about balance, and this is in no way a call to restrict our eating and be hyper-focused on the ingredients in foods we are eating. It is simply an eye-opener, something to be aware of when making healthy food choices, and a tool to help navigate the processed world.
Works Cited
Hartmann, S., & Klaschka, U. (2017). Interested consumers' awareness of harmful chemicals in everyday products. Environmental sciences Europe, 29(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-017-0127-8
Maffini, M. V., Neltner, T. G., & Vogel, S. (2017). We are what we eat: Regulatory gaps in the United States that put our health at risk. PLoS biology, 15(12), e2003578. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003578
Muncke, J., Andersson, A. M., Backhaus, T., Boucher, J. M., Carney Almroth, B., Castillo Castillo, A., Chevrier, J., Demeneix, B. A., Emmanuel, J. A., Fini, J. B., Gee, D., Geueke, B., Groh, K., Heindel, J. J., Houlihan, J., Kassotis, C. D., Kwiatkowski, C. F., Lefferts, L. Y., Maffini, M. V., Martin, O. V., … Scheringer, M. (2020). Impacts of food contact chemicals on human health: a consensus statement. Environmental health : a global access science source, 19(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-020-0572-5
