What they don’t tell you about the additives, colors and other things in your food

[Guest guest]

(NaturalNews) If you think that the labels on food packaging tell you everything

you need to know about the food inside, you'd better think again. Food labels

are Greek and Latin to most people. And that is an understatement. Recently,

there has been a growing population interested in the food they eat, for a

number of reasons, none the least of which is a concern for health.

If you walk through super market aisles, you will notice more and more people

flip the food packet to look at the fine print. These people are obviously

curious about what goes into the food, but not just that, they are eager to pack

in some healthfulness into their diet as well. However, research shows that not

all inquisitive shoppers pick the healthiest option. The reasons could vary from

idle curiosity to a complete lack of knowledge and understanding about what

truly lies beneath the façade of fancy names, pictures and labels that appear

to tell all.

Consider this, for example: A food package that says " no added sugar " or

" fat-free " could be very misleading. Especially to the eager beaver on a dieting

spree, it would sound deliciously attractive. This is just a clever disguise to

keep the artificial sweetener or the excess sugar (as in the case of fat-free)

under wraps. There are umpteen cases of misinformation or more accurately, of

revealing only partial truths, where consumers think they are buying good,

clean, healthy, chemical-free food, only to later find out that they were

royally fooled.

When a juice bottle, for instance, claims to have " no added sugar or color " ,

please do yourself a favor and look on the back of the bottle. In all

probability, you will see aspartame or some other artificial sweetener in there.

Keep it back on the shelf. Although there is a huge lobby that defends the use

of aspartame in food, there is an equally vociferous one that says, " do not

consume " because it has disastrous consequences for health. Better err on the

side of caution and steer clear of food that has it.

The next thing you need to look for is the " E " followed by a number on the

label, also commonly known as the E Number in food. What is the E Number? Again,

nobody knows exactly what that is, but it's supposedly additives and chemicals

(including food coloring) that are " safe " to consume. Take that with a pinch of

salt. A little bit of suspicion will go a long way. Food additives such as

coloring in particular have been associated with ADHD in children. And when

combined with synthetic preservatives, they can be lethal. Furthermore, there is

no law that binds food manufacturers to declare the use of preservatives on the

label.

Another thing that should raise the red flag is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS),

a sugar substitute used to sweeten a product excessively.

Dr. Weil, pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, has written

extensively about food and the chemicals and additives that go into processing

and packaging them. He has spoken out vehemently against HFCS, which is

supposedly used in soft drinks and colas. The term " all natural " in labels is

unacceptable if there is high fructose corn syrup in the list of ingredients.

HFCS are not natural because of the high level of processing and the use of

genetically modified enzymes required to produce it. And if that is not enough,

HFCS are known to cause obesity as well.

Also, another significant health deterrent to watch out for is partially

hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are high in trans-fat, and synonymous with

coronary heart disease. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are used in food

in order to increase shelf life and yes, you guessed it, it is a cheaper

alternative to semi-solid oils. The dangers of consuming trans-fat are too many

to ignore and it is widely accepted (with scientific evidence and all) that

trans-fat has disastrous consequences for health: coronary heart disease, liver

dysfunction, diabetes, obesity and even Alzheimer's disease.

According to an article titled " Trans-fat: Avoid this cholesterol double whammy "

from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER):

" In fact, the consumption of trans-fats increases one's risk of coronary heart

disease by raising levels of " bad " LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of " good "

HDL cholesterol. "

And again, according to an article titled " Trans Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular

Disease " in the New England Journal of Medicine 354, by Mozaffarian D, Katan MB,

Ascherio A, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC (April 2006: " Health authorities worldwide

recommend that consumption of trans-fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans-fats

from partially hydrogenated oils are more deleterious than naturally occurring

oils. "

According to Dr. Weil sugar, starch, refined carbohydrates and trans-fat are far

more threatening to health than saturated fats.

The list of negatives in our food is beyond the scope of this article. However,

the main aim of this article is to give consumers a peep into what those labels

are really saying and to provide some insight into what to look for and stay

away from. You could even say it is an exhortation to consumers to look before

they eat. After all, it's your body, your health. Don't let them control it.

It is now imperative that we change our eating habits and look for food that is

friendly to the body and the earth. As the old saying goes, you are what you

eat. Whether we believe that or not, a change in the way we approach food could

well mean the difference between lasting wellness and disease.

Muhammad Ahmad Al-Masry

64, Muhammad Korayem Street,

Gomrok, andria, Egypt

Tel: 0020-03-4800555

Fax: 0020-03-3082667

Web: massrii@...

massrii@...