Beware of What You Eat

Have you ever wondered what chemicals are used in food? There are seven deadly chemicals used in processed food. They raise high health concerns to people of all ages. Here are three that I think cause the most risks.

FD&C Red Dye # 3 is a red cherry dye derived from coal tar. Researchers in 1981 found that this chemical can interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain. Since then the dye has been banned from cosmetics, but is still put in processed food.

Do you ever eat cereal, potato chips, or gum? What if I were to tell you that in those products they contain harmful amounts of BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), which is a preservative to keep food from going bad. Although it is preserving the food, once it hits your body it accumulates in the body fat and disrupts the hormone balance with higher or lower levels of estrogen or progesterone. Studies have shown that mice, rats and hamsters have developed cancer from this preservative, but it is kept on the shelves.

Commonly called Sodium Benzoate or Benzoic Acid is a preservative widely used in fruit juice, carbonated drinks and pickles. The problem with this preservative is when it is used in beverages that contain ascorbic acid (Vitamin C.) These two substances can react together to form an acidic solution that forms small amounts of Benzene that is a chemical that causes Leukemia and other cancers. There have been restrictions made on Sodium Benzoate, bt it is still used in some products.

When I go grocery shopping, I rarely look at the label to see what's in it. I grab healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. It's a scary thought that on a daily basis we are contaminating our bodies with these foods that is full of chemical impurities. Who knows how many chemicals are allowed in processed food before it is deemed a health risk. These chemicals are clearly harmful. So be on the lookout for any of these three chemicals.