Read your labels day, 4-11-2014 and why

Today’s Post:  Friday, 4-11-2014

Citizens for Health has declared Friday, April 11 to be “Read Your Labels Day.” 

Their list is below with our comments in (parentheses.) We also list it at the end just as they published it just in case you want to read a copy without my comments.

The main thing is to always read labels and avoid these ingredients!

ALWAYS reading labels before buying or ingesting food and drinks is critical because many much- used additives to make foods taste addictively good or cheap to make due to extended shelf life are fatteners or cause heart and blood vessel disease, cancers, and other serious diseases.  You can avoid those harms by avoiding those ingredients.

BUT, you can only avoid the ingredients if you read the label to check if they are in the food or drink!

Three of the ingredients they list, HFCS, MSG, & hydrogenated oils are even MORE harmful than they suggest.

(HFCS and MSG are very effective fatteners!  And, both HFCS and hydrogenated oils are effective heart attack starters!  And, both MSG and hydrogenated oils each have a sneaky and extra harmful secret effect.)

And, they do NOT list Sucralose or sugar or free fructose.

We comment on free fructose in our comments on HFCS since it is the free fructose in HFCS that seems to be most harmful part of HFCS.

And we add Sucralose as an 11^th thing to avoid and to always read labels to do so!

By all means avoid the other harmful things on their list and the foods and drinks that contain them.

But High Fructose Corn Syrup, free fructose, the agave syrup or nectar that contains free fructose;

hydrogenated oils and trans fats;

and MSG and the names they use to hide MSG behind are the most used and most harmful.

Of the artificial sweeteners, they all tend to be fattening and harmful and best avoided totally; but Sucralose (Splenda) is currently the most used and one of the most harmful.

So if you are rushed and want the short list of things to avoid, that’s it!

Here’s their list with our comments added:

#1. High fructose corn syrup

Where you’ll find it:

Where do we begin? HFCS has permeated the marketplace in so many foods and beverages it’s just about impossible to create a list. For starters, it’s in most all sodas, and many other beverages such as tea and flavored drinks, and numerous juice drinks made for kids, as well as other sweetened items such as jellies, cookies and pastries. It also turns up in some surprising places like bread and condiments, and oddly, even in some diet foods (where it’s possible that a super-high fructose version is used). All in all, to purge HFCS from your diet, you need to read ingredient labels and reject all products containing this laboratory sweetener.

Why you should avoid it:

HFCS and high fructose consumption have been implicated in a variety of diseases and health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and weight gain.

The actual fructose percentage of HFCS is variable and unknown (which is why Citizens for Health has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to require the true fructose content of HFCS formulas be disclosed on food labels).

Contrary to industry propaganda, HFCS isn’t “corn sugar” or a “natural” ingredient, but a test-tube concoction that’s much cheaper than sugar.

(Our comments:

a)  HFCS is heart attack starter. 

Excess added sugar, free fructose products including agave syrup, refined grains, 100% whole grains to some extent, all modern wheat, and HFCS all boost triglycerides to a massive degree.

Research shows that means they dramatically increase the amount of the kind of small particle LDL that is one of the most effective causes of blood vessel and heart disease!

And, one of the most effective and damaging of these is HFCS!  Worse, most people who drink soft drinks and don’t read labels to avoid it ingest a LOT of HFCS.

This same list of foods when eaten in excess causes type 2 diabetes and high blood sugar levels that are almost as damaging.  Sugar spikes on your blood cells also cause damage to your blood vessels and increase the speed of developing heart disease and make heart attacks and strokes far more likely!

b)  HFCS is one of THE most powerful fatteners.

Research shows that in people taking in the same amount in calories of HFCS and regular sugar, the people getting HFCS are hungrier and have more cravings, are fatter, and weigh more.  This apparently is because where the glucose and fructose are bonded together in real sugar. HFCS has some glucose and free fructose.  [Note that since the free fructose is the most harmful part, this means to also avoid agave syrup and fructose by itself.])

Where you’ll find it:

Where do we begin? HFCS has permeated the marketplace in so many foods and beverages it’s just about impossible to create a list. For starters, it’s in most all sodas, and many other beverages such as tea and flavored drinks, and numerous juice drinks made for kids, as well as other sweetened items such as jellies, cookies and pastries. It also turns up in some surprising places like bread and condiments, and oddly, even in some diet foods (where it’s possible that a super-high fructose version is used). All in all, to purge HFCS from your diet, you need to read ingredient labels and reject all products containing this laboratory sweetener.

(I was astonished to find my favorite ketchup had HFCS as did my favorite jam and my favorite chocolate syrup and my favorite fruit flavored syrup.  I no longer buy or eat those!  Of course, except for ketchup I no longer eat the other things period!

Salsa usually has no HFCS and Whole Foods carries a ketchup that does not have it.)

#2. Aspartame

Where you’ll find it:

Aspartame is apt to turn up in foods labeled as “light” or “low-cal,” diet soft drinks, teas and juice drinks, kid’s vitamins, liquid cold drugs and other pharmaceuticals, chewing gum, cereal, sugar-free candies. Foods containing this artificial sweetener must also bear a warning that the item contains phenylalanine for those with a disorder called PKU.

Why you should avoid it:

Aspartame has never been proven to be a safe food additive, and is, in fact, considered by experts to be in a class of ingredients called “excitotoxins” that can literally excite brain cells to death, especially in children and the elderly (as are the three additives that follow);

Studies have connected it to the development of brain tumors in rodents and grand mal seizures in monkeys.

Thousands of aspartame-related health complaints, from migraines to memory loss to dizziness to vision problems have been reported to the FDA.

(Some people have reported getting MS or very similar systems after beginning to ingest aspartame AND having those symptoms stop when they stopped the aspartame!

And, The Center for Science in the Public Interest lists it and other artificial sweeteners as NOT entirely cleared of helping to cause cancer.)

(3, 4, & 5 are basically ALL MSG.  To hide that MSG IS in products, the labels often list hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast, or “spices” and even “natural spices.”

THAT means that to avoid listing it as MSG they avoided it by hiding it this way.  AND it means to never, ever buy or eat foods with those other ingredients listed AT ALL on the labels.

[I was surprised to find my favorite mustard listed spices on the label.  Then I was astonished to find ALL the mustards I looked at listed spices too.  Annie’s Naturals that I found at Whole Foods was the ONLY one that was just real mustard with no worries about MSG!]

MSG is implicated in brain cell and nerve cell damage.  But MSG is ALSO a double fattener! 

Research has found that people eating foods with MSG weigh more and are fatter than people who eat the same foods without MSG!

Worse, if you eat MSG long enough it damages your thyroid and lowers your energy level and metabolism. MSG really is a nightmare ingredient!

Note that you can use a Butcher’s Kitchen or Jaccard meat tenderizer that is far more effective than using MSG.  [It’s also far faster and much more effective than pounding the meat with a hammer.] They make even wild caught venison and meat from animals fed 100 % grass and foods from their natural diets that are super lean – or even very lean cuts that have been extra fat trimmed – all very tender and easy to cook and flavor well.  They work BETTER than using MSG and pounding the meat!

Also note that sparing use of horseradish not only can add the kind of sharpness that MSG does, horse radish has health BENEFITS instead of harms.)

#3. Hydrolyzed protein

#4. Autolyzed yeast

#5. Monosodium glutamate

Where you’ll find them:

These “excitoxins” can be found in soups, broth, flavoring additives, chips, dips, soup mixes, ramen noodles, frozen meals, snack mixes, canned fish, and a wide variety of other dishes –  including “natural,” “vegetarian,” and organic ones.

Why you should avoid them:

These are all toxic substances containing processed glutamic acid that can kill brain cells. 

They are especially harmful to kids, the elderly and developing fetuses.

Adverse reactions to these additives include everything from skin rashes and asthma attacks to mood swings, upset stomach, migraines, heart irregularities and seizures – even potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

#6 Potassium bromate

Where you’ll find it:

Added to flour, it can be found in breads, flat breads, bakery products, knishes and tortillas. (It may also be listed on ingredient labels as “bromated flour.”)

Why you should avoid it:

Potassium bromate has been known for over three decades to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

It’s banned in Europe, China, Canada and Brazil.

If it’s not used “properly,” a significant residue of this additive can end up in the finished food product.

#7 Brominated vegetable oil, or BVO

Where you’ll find it:

Some Gatorade products, Mountain Dew and other drinks containing citrus flavorings.

Why you should avoid it:

BVO builds up in fatty tissue and been shown to cause heart damage in research animals.

It’s banned in Europe, India and Japan.

It’s never been declared safe by the FDA, where its status has remained in limbo  for over 30 years.

#8 BHA and BHT

Where you’ll find them:

This pair of preservatives turn up in many breakfast cereals (including most Kellogg’s varieties), as well as snack foods, chewing gum, pies, cakes and processed meats.

Why you should avoid them:

Made from coal tar or petroleum, BHA and BHT have been of concern for decades.

Over 30 years ago studies found that after pregnant mice were fed BHT and BHA, their offspring were born with altered brain chemistry.

BHA is considered a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization and listed as a carcinogen in California.

#9 Trans fats (AND, partially hydrogenated oils and something called esterified oil which is 100% hydrogenated and even more harmful!)

Where you’ll find it:

Any food products containing partially hydrogenated oil contain trans fats, regardless of a zero trans fats listing on the nutrition facts label. These can include bakery items, pizza, dough, pies, cakes and cookies, snack foods and frozen meals.

Why you should avoid them:

Trans fats increase LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and decrease “good” HDL cholesterol.

People with high blood levels of trans fats appear to have a greater risk of developing certain cancers. (Some research has even linked them to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s.)

All health authorities, including government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are in agreement that trans fats cause heart disease and that cutting them out of our diet could prevent thousand of heart attacks and death from coronary disease each year.

(Because at this time, you can say a food has zero trans fats when it DOES have quite a bit, the way to read labels is to do it in two steps:  If it SAYS it has any actual amount of trans fats in it, it’s loaded with the stuff.  Take a pass! BUT most of it is listed as partially hydrogenated oil, so the more important ingredient to look for is partially hydrogenated oil.  ALWAYS look to see if that is in the food.  If so, take a pass!

Here’s why.  Hydrogenated oils directly increase the amount of small particle LDL in your blood.  And they do it fast and in quantity.  High levels of small particle LDL are one of the most effective and common causes of heart disease.  The changes in lowering HDL and increasing triglycerides are a proven indicator of this!

BUT it’s far worse than that.  Is cutting back the amount of hydrogenated oils protective as some writers suggest?  NO!  The only safe intake of hydrogenated oils is ZERO!

Here’s why:  Manmade hydrogenated oils take your body several days or even weeks to get rid of!  That means that ingesting a little bit every day or several times a week, week after week will ensure you have massive amounts of this heart attack starter in your blood all the time!

Hydrogenated oils are critical to avoid.  And, they DO list them if there is a label on the food at all.  So, ALWAYS check for hydrogenated oils even if you are too) rushed to do more than that!

#10 Artificial colors

Where you’ll find them:

They’re present in many cereals, cakes, candy, bakery products, drinks, juice drinks, vitamins and pharmaceuticals.

Why you should avoid them:

Artificial colors are widely acknowledged to cause hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children.

They’re made from both coal tar and petroleum extracts – hardly the sort of things one would want to ingest.

Some, such as Red #3, have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, but are still allowed to be used in foods.

So there they are in review – the top ten offenders among food additives. They’re best avoided (except in the case of processed glutamic acid), by buying organic processed foods, or, better yet, by cooking your own food from scratch as much as possible. But if you’re too hard pressed to always do all that, you should at least take the time to read those ingredient labels – and keep the items that contain these health-threatening intruders out of your kitchen and out of your life.

(11.  Sucralose, also known as Splenda, is extremely harmful. 

Worse, it is similar enough to real sugar and sweet enough with no aftertaste that it is now in VERY common use.

We finally know what its worst harm is.  Ingesting sucralose kills off the bacteria in your gut. 

Unfortunately the probiotic bacteria in your gut help you get the nutrition out of the food you eat; help prevent excessive chronic inflammation and colon cancer; and help prevent harmful bacteria from growing in your gut.

Is it safe to kill them all off or to do it several times a week?  Nope.

I also read the report of a far more detailed study of all the metabolic and systems harms caused by sucralose.  So this is far from the only problem with sucralose.  But this one problem is so harmful, no one should ingest sucralose.

Look for it on labels.  If there is any, take a pass. And, don’t buy it or ingest it or products you know contain sucralose.

As sucralose contains chlorine as many nerve gases and pesticides do, it was invented originally as a sweet bait and pesticide in one compound. 

But the sweetness was so high and the direct toxicity was so low and because it looked like real sugar, they decided to sell it as an artificial sweetener.)

Here’s their original list without my comments if you want to see the original:

#1. High fructose corn syrup

Where you’ll find it:

Where do we begin? HFCS has permeated the marketplace in so many foods and beverages it’s just about impossible to create a list. For starters, it’s in most all sodas, and many other beverages such as tea and flavored drinks, and numerous juice drinks made for kids, as well as other sweetened items such as jellies, cookies and pastries. It also turns up in some surprising places like bread and condiments, and oddly, even in some diet foods (where it’s possible that a super-high fructose version is used). All in all, to purge HFCS from your diet, you need to read ingredient labels and reject all products containing this laboratory sweetener.

Why you should avoid it:

HFCS and high fructose consumption have been implicated in a variety of diseases and health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and weight gain.

The actual fructose percentage of HFCS is variable and unknown (which is why Citizens for Health has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to require the true fructose content of HFCS formulas be disclosed on food labels).

Contrary to industry propaganda, HFCS isn’t “corn sugar” or a “natural” ingredient, but a test-tube concoction that’s much cheaper than sugar.

#2. Aspartame

Where you’ll find it:

Aspartame is apt to turn up in foods labeled as “light” or “low-cal,” diet soft drinks, teas and juice drinks, kid’s vitamins, liquid cold drugs and other pharmaceuticals, chewing gum, cereal, sugar-free candies. Foods containing this artificial sweetener must also bear a warning that the item contains phenylalanine for those with a disorder called PKU.

Why you should avoid it:

Aspartame has never been proven to be a safe food additive, and is, in fact, considered by experts to be in a class of ingredients called “excitotoxins” that can literally excite brain cells to death, especially in children and the elderly (as are the three additives that follow);

Studies have connected it to the development of brain tumors in rodents and grand mal seizures in monkeys.

Thousands of aspartame-related health complaints, from migraines to memory loss to dizziness to vision problems have been reported to the FDA.

#3. Hydrolyzed protein

#4. Autolyzed yeast

#5. Monosodium glutamate

Where you’ll find them:

These “excitoxins” can be found in soups, broth, flavoring additives, chips, dips, soup mixes, ramen noodles, frozen meals, snack mixes, canned fish, and a wide variety of other dishes –  including “natural,” “vegetarian,” and organic ones.

Why you should avoid them:

These are all toxic substances containing processed glutamic acid that can kill brain cells. 

They are especially harmful to kids, the elderly and developing fetuses.

Adverse reactions to these additives include everything from skin rashes and asthma attacks to mood swings, upset stomach, migraines, heart irregularities and seizures – even potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

#6 Potassium bromate

Where you’ll find it:

Added to flour, it can be found in breads, flat breads, bakery products, knishes and tortillas. (It may also be listed on ingredient labels as “bromated flour.”)

Why you should avoid it:

Potassium bromate has been known for over three decades to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

It’s banned in Europe, China, Canada and Brazil.

If it’s not used “properly,” a significant residue of this additive can end up in the finished food product.

#7 Brominated vegetable oil, or BVO

Where you’ll find it:

Some Gatorade products, Mountain Dew and other drinks containing citrus flavorings.

Why you should avoid it:

BVO builds up in fatty tissue and been shown to cause heart damage in research animals.

It’s banned in Europe, India and Japan.

It’s never been declared safe by the FDA, where its status has remained in limbo  for over 30 years.

#8 BHA and BHT

Where you’ll find them:

This pair of preservatives turn up in many breakfast cereals (including most Kellogg’s varieties), as well as snack foods, chewing gum, pies, cakes and processed meats.

Why you should avoid them:

Made from coal tar or petroleum, BHA and BHT have been of concern for decades.

Over 30 years ago studies found that after pregnant mice were fed BHT and BHA, their offspring were born with altered brain chemistry.

BHA is considered a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization and listed as a carcinogen in California.

#9 Trans fats

Where you’ll find it:

Any food products containing partially hydrogenated oil contain trans fats, regardless of a zero trans fats listing on the nutrition facts label. These can include bakery items, pizza, dough, pies, cakes and cookies, snack foods and frozen meals.

Why you should avoid them:

Trans fats increase LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and decrease “good” HDL cholesterol.

People with high blood levels of trans fats appear to have a greater risk of developing certain cancers. (Some research has even linked them to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s.)

All health authorities, including government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are in agreement that trans fats cause heart disease and that cutting them out of our diet could prevent thousand of heart attacks and death from coronary disease each year.

#10 Artificial colors

Where you’ll find them:

They’re present in many cereals, cakes, candy, bakery products, drinks, juice drinks, vitamins and pharmaceuticals.

Why you should avoid them:

Artificial colors are widely acknowledged to cause hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children.

They’re made from both coal tar and petroleum extracts – hardly the sort of things one would want to ingest.

Some, such as Red #3, have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, but are still allowed to be used in foods.

So there they are in review – the top ten offenders among food additives. They’re best avoided (except in the case of processed glutamic acid), by buying organic processed foods, or, better yet, by cooking your own food from scratch as much as possible. But if you’re too hard pressed to always do all that, you should at least take the time to read those ingredient labels – and keep the items that contain these health-threatening intruders out of your kitchen and out of your life.

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