Food Additives You Should Avoid

In my previous email, I spoke about 4 strategies you can use to get rid of junk food cravings.

One of the best things you can do is remove foods with additives to get your gut and taste buds back to normal.

Today, I have a list of common additives to avoid for general health.

You can use this email as a handbook to guide your purchases when searching for food to eat. In the top right corner, click “Read Online” to save the link.

Preservatives

Preservatives are in most processed foods. They are often carcinogenic and can cause allergic reactions and endocrine disruption. Avoid things like:

• Sodium Benzoate: Used in acidic food, can convert to benzene, a known carcinogen.

• Potassium Bromate: Used in bread making, it has been linked to kidney and thyroid cancers in rodents, leading to its ban in the EU and Canada.

• Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): Used to prevent oxidation in foods. It is considered "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" based on animal studies.

• Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT): Similar to BHA, used to preserve fats. Studies suggest potential cancer risks and endocrine disruption.

• Ingredients with names that begin with sodium or potassium - Sodium and potassium are often used as preservatives due to their chemical properties and cost.

Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners can disrupt metabolic processes and alter gut microbiota, leading to insulin resistance.

Normal sweeteners can cause you to gain weight and feed the growth of bad bacteria in the gut.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): Has been linked to obesity and insulin resistance. It also disrupts gut microbiota, leading to permeability and inflammation.

• Dextrose: is derived from corn and cause blood sugar spikes linked to inflammation. Similar to other sugars, it may also contribute to an imbalance in gut microbiota, affecting digestive and metabolic health.

• Acesulfame K: Is an artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Some studies have shown that it is a potential carcinogen.

• Aspartame: May lead to neurological symptoms like headaches and mood changes due to its metabolites affecting brain neurotransmitters.

• Sucralose: Interferes with insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation. It also alters the gut, reducing beneficial bacteria and affecting overall gut health.

Emulsifiers & gums

Often found in ice cream, mayonnaise, baked goods, and non-dairy milk, emulsifiers and gums are some of the worst ingredients for your gut. They will wreck your gut microbiota and increase permeability. Most cause discomfort and bloating which are telltale signs that they’re messing up your gut.

• Carrageenan

• Guar and xanthan gum

• Soy and sunflower lecithin

• Methylcellulose

Enhancers

Flavor and color enhancers are some of the worst additives out there, which I have talked about multiple times on my Instagram.

• MSG: watch my reel about it here

• Food Coloring: Synthetic dyes are linked to hyperactivity in children and can potentially cause cancer. Yellow #5, Red #40, Blue #1, and more are banned in several European countries.

• Yeast Extract: Contains naturally occurring glutamates which can lead to similar symptoms as MSG.

These food additives are so prevalent that the majority of food you see on shelves is contaminated with them.

High-quality processed food is often much more expensive to produce, and companies that make them don’t have the margins to put them on grocery shelves.

So, the best thing to do for your health is to cook at home or spend the extra money buying high-quality packaged food.

Until next time,

Kashif Khan

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical advice from your physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your regular health care provider.