Their theory was that the insects would be attracted by the sucralose’s artificial sweetness, which is 600 times sweeter than sugar, and then be… well, um… eradicated.
Acesulfame Potassium
This compound was discovered when a scientist accidentally licked his finger after touching the chemicals he was working with—it’s 200 times sweeter than sugar and is primarily used to make medicine palatable and is used in soft drinks, usually in conjunction with other sweeteners.
Many opponents of acesulfame potassium’s usage as a food additive point to the fact that there is not enough research done on its effects. However, a recent study found that usage of this compound could alter cognitive functions as well as affect neuro-metabolic functions, particularly in males.
Plus, acesulfame potassium contains the carcinogen methylene chloride. Long-term exposure to methylene chloride can cause:
headaches
depression
nausea
mental confusion
liver damage
kidney damage
visual disturbances
and cancer
The scientists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest affirm that what little research that was done on acesulfame potassium points to a tumor link, making this sweetener unfit for consumption.
Sodium Benzoate
Benzene is the primary ingredient in Liquid Wrench, various paint stripping products, rubber cement, and some spot removers. Why? Because it has a highly destructive property and is a particularly good solvent. But that’s only the beginning of the story…
When a large number factory workers in U.S. rubber manufacturing plants got leukemia, the use of benzene was discontinued as a component of the rubber—because it was the benzene that caused the leukemia.
Sodium benzoate is more toxic than either processed sugar or high fructose corn syrup, but it doesn’t get even close to the same media coverage. According to its safety data sheet, consumption of sodium benzoate can cause food allergies. (Has anyone else noticed that almost everyone has some kind of food allergy now?) Why is this being used in our “food” supply?!
Well, news or no news, I’m not going to ingest it on purpose. The problem is… I know and can avoid it, but (sadly) the majority of consumer are buying blindly.
It’s time for American consumers to start being proactive about their food supply!
While I chose this Folgers Flavors to pick apart because Alyson and I happened to turn a bottle of it around at the supermarket, I’m sure I could easily flip a hundred more bottles at the store and find just as shocking ingredients.
We need to start reading the labels and rejecting the “natural” and artificial flavorings and the synthetic chemicals that are causing us to be sick, overweight, lethargic, and constantly in a craving cycle that leaves us at the mercy of the very companies that are hurting us.
It’s time to choose real food and only real food!
If you’re unsure about how to make those positive changes in your life, how to take back your kitchen table—and your health—check out The Wild Diet now! You’ll gain a deeper understanding of just what happened to our food, and how you can fix it… plus– a lot of great stories, tips and tricks, and delicious recipes that only use real food.
In today’s food market, hearing the term “razzleberry,” “supped up strawberry,” or “blue n’ boisterous” is nothing to blink over. Companies of all shapes and sizes are inventing their own flavors, and then giving them a more unique name than the taste themselves. Fruits are morphed into feelings or actions, or just invented all together. While boysenberry may be less common than your everyday fruits, it’s a far cry from the fictional razzleberry – a piece that holds no place on the food chart.
Despite these “flavors” occurring on a regular basis, they may actually provide several dangers to those who consume them. While many assume these risks mainly target children (few adults eat made up berries), this is not the case. Foods claiming to have naturally occurring flavors, such as orange, banana, apple, etc. are often made purely with artificial ingredients. These items are more regularly consumed by adults, but also pose a higher threat because they’re less blatantly unhealthy.
What are the Cons?
Foods and beverages with artificial ingredients can cause an array of health problems, especially when used frequently. Artificial flavors have been known to cause chest pain, headaches, fatigue, nervous system depression, allergies, and even brain damage. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of the list. Other symptoms including seizures, nausea, dizziness, and many more.
With over three thousand artificial flavoring ingredients currently in production, any number of these side effects could be swarming your meals on a daily basis, along with additional consequences.
One of the more common artificial flavorings, caramel, has been known to cause vitamin B6 deficiencies, genetic defects, as well as cancer. Saccharin, another popular flavor ingredient, can bring on allergic or toxic reactions, tumors, and bladder cancer.
The Risk Factors Grow
Some food and beverage companies are attacking the current “health trend” from a whole new angle. Rather than cutting out sodium, sugars, and MSG, they’re implementing a new product altogether, one that shuts off your taste buds. Some of these big names are using bitter-tasting alternatives to sodium and sugars, and then removing the bad taste with a new, mystery substance that prevents tongues from detecting their flavors.
Legally though, this “generally safe” item doesn’t have to be listed on the ingredients label. Because of the FDA’s definitions and standards, it simply falls into the “artificial flavors” category, leaving most customers unawares. Companies have also declined to share which products currently contain the new taste-altering substance, leaving us even further in the dark.
Unfortunately, this and other artificial flavor ingredients are placed into most pre-packaged foods and beverages. The best way to avoid them is to read labels carefully (and with the understanding that “artificial flavors” can be much more dangerous than it reads), and avoiding such substances.
Hopefully as awareness about artificial flavoring dangers continues to spread, we can help eliminate them from our food sources altogether.
To find out more about healthy food choices and how to include nutrition without losing taste, head to ZingAnything.com.