Food Additives: Why You Should Avoid Them

When you hear about people eating healthier and just trying to be more healthy in life, they often talk about food additives. What are food additives and why are they so dangerous? For those who are serious about getting healthy, knowing about food additives is a great start to this journey in your life.

What are Food Additives?

Food additives are items that are added into foods. They are often used as a way to enhance the taste of the food or even to make the food last longer on the shelf. There are times in which additives are added as a way to make the food look more appealing, such as when these are added into meats at the grocery store.

Examples of Food Additives

There are several examples of food additives that are seen in foods that you may eat everyday! For example:

1. MSG: This is added into almost every food that you eat, especially when you go to restaurants. It is meant to help make a dish even more savory and is often found in canned soups as well.
2. Artificial Food Coloring: This is added simply to make foods look more appealing. You are going to find this in abundance in candies to make these more appealing. These are found in processed foods, so for those who are eating all natural and avoiding processed foods, they can often avoid artificial food coloring.
3. Sodium Nitrate: This is found in processed meats and is meant to stop the growth of bacteria in the foods. Plus, it adds a salty flavor and slightly pink color to the food.
4. Guar Gum: This is found in foods that need to be thickened. For example, ice cream, sauces, and soups are often using this additive to give them the right consistency.
5. High-fructose corn syrup: This is added into foods to make them even sweeter. This is often seen in cereals and sweets that are packaged, or even fruit juices that you buy.

For those who are looking at food additives, they will find that some of these additives have actually benefited us in terms of making food safe to eat even after it has been in our refrigerators or on the shelves for a while. However, the additives that contribute to health issues are those that you will want to avoid. For many, who are actively living a healthier life, they are avoiding all additives.