Food is essential for human beings. No matter where we live, we need food to survive. But in today’s world, there are a lot of additives being added to our food and unless you read every single ingredient on the label of your food, you’re unlikely to be completely aware of what you are actually consuming and it can become a concern when you could be unknowingly digesting harmful additives. Listed below are five such additives that research suggests is dangerous for our health.
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Yes, consuming too much sugar is bad for your health and it should be avoided. But if you are opting to replace sugar with artificial sweeteners then that it can be equally as bad for you. Why? Well, there are multiple reasons for that. For starters, artificial sweeteners are known to enhance your appetite. This makes you want to eat more which ultimately leads to weight gain. It also causes inflammation and hampers your digestive process. Sometimes they also destroy the good bacteria in your digestive tract thereby causing digestive problems.
4. Synthetic Trans Fats
A lot of people will jump to tell you that in order to stay healthy, one must avoid food containing fat. Well, it is partially true. There are different kinds of fat and our body needs a good amount of “good fat” to remain healthy. However, there is something called Trans Fat. This is the kind of fat which has zero health values and is harmful. They are known to cause inflammation and also raise bad cholesterol levels. Fried foods usually have a lot of Trans Fat.
3. High Fructose Corn Syrup
We humans often fear sugar so much that we are constantly trying to find new alternatives. High Fructose Corn Syrup is supposed to be our best solution to replace sugar. However, it is completely wrong. HFCS is not a natural substance and has been linked to weight gain, damage to insulin resistance and cause liver damage too. That’s not all, it can also result in poor gut health.
2. Monosodium Glutamate
Many of you are probably familiar with this as MSG. This particular item is always added to Chinese food. While it does enhance the flavor it’s not the best option for your body. It is known to cause damage to the cell walls and also lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and learning disabilities. You will often find MSG in frozen food, canned food and in certain snack bags. Check the label for MSG free products.
1. Preservatives
This particular food additive is extremely bad for your health. Yes, it helps you to store food for a number of weeks but preservatives have been linked to causing several kinds of cancer as well as damage to the neurological system. Preservatives are often added to frozen food, chips, and carbonated drinks. Basically everything with an expanded shelf life.