Monday, January 16, 2012

Watch out for food additives



Whether we like it or not, various substances are added to the food, we buy to make it look more attractive or last longer. Many of these additives are unhealthy ones. Many processed foods are heavily salted or have a lot of sugar in them. If we eat too much salt, we can retain water and develop high blood pressure, which in turn can cause heart disease. Too much sugar is bad for our teeth and can lead to diabetes and other blood-sugar imbalances.

Sometimes a yellow colouring called tartrazine is added to make foods look more attractive. Tartrazine can cause children to become hyperactive. Food with tartrazine has to be clearly labelled, but other additives are not always obvious. For example, anabolic steroids (extra hormones, which can be dangerous) are given to cows, sheep, and chickens to make them more ‘meaty’.

The labels on tins and packets of food list all kinds of strange chemicals. Some people are allergic to specific food additives, so it is a good idea to avoid foods that are crammed with additives and chemicals.

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