LeadWithGOOD June 2016 | Page 48

The Truth About Hexane -You’re probably eating it and didn’t even know it - Neeta Sanders Did you know that if you are consuming non-organic or “natural” soy burgers or non-organic or “natural” nutrition/granola bars, you are probably getting a dangerous chemical called “Hexane” in your diet? In fact any non-organic product that has “soy” is probably tainted with Hexane! This includes infant formulas, protein shakes and many common pre-packaged goods. So why do they put it in our soy burgers/sausages, nutrition bars and various other foods? Soybean processors use hexane as a solvent—a cheap and efficient way of extracting oil from soybeans, a necessary step to making most conventional soy oil and protein ingredients. Whole soybeans are literally bathed in hexane to separate the soybeans’ oil from protein. A “natural” nutrition bar and a certified organic nutrition bar may look the same to many consumers, but when you delve a little deeper, you realize that how the soy protein that it contains, was processed tells us a totally different story. The Cornucopia Institute has developed the report “Banned in Organics” along with the “Guide to Choosing Non-Hexane Meat Alternatives” and the “Guide to Choosing Non-Hexane Nutrition Bars.” To read this report in its entirety, go to Hexane Report (http://www.cornucopia.org/ hexane-guides/nvo_hexane_ report.pdf) Hexane is a byproduct of gasoline refining. It is a neurotoxin and a hazardous air pollutant. Hexane has been identified by the FDA as a potent neurotoxin and a carcinogen. Hexane has been listed as one of the 188 hazardous and dangerous air pollutants by the EPA which can cause cancer, and other serious health illnesses including reproductive and birth defects. Below is a quick guide to some common foods that contain soy to show you which ones to avoid: 48