Our present lives would not exactly be called modern or advanced if we did not have Food Additives. How else would we have access to food produced in places thousands of miles away from where we live? How would we be able to keep those high-paying but time-consuming jobs without ready-to-eat meals? Food additives such as preservatives prevent food from spoiling and help to extend the shelf life of food. Other types help to enhance the flavor and nutritional content of food amongst other functions.
However, food additives are currently blamed for a slew of health ailments ranging from allergies to ADHD. Not all food additives are that harmful and there are many that are very beneficial. This article will discuss the various types of additives and the side effects of those that are dangerous.
Types of Food Additives
Food additives can be classified in several ways. They could be classified as:
Natural: These are naturally occurring substances and are usually considered harmless. They include salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol and rosemary extract. (1)
Artificial: These are comprised of several different types of additives and are mainly chemical food additives. The harmful types of additives are usually artificial.
Food additives can be further grouped into categories such as:
Antimicrobials: Antimicrobials are food preservatives that inhibit the growth and activity of bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms that cause food spoilage. Examples are salt, sugar, vinegar, sodium nitrite, and sulfur dioxide and other sulfites (includes the sulfites, bisulfites and metabisulfites of sodium and potassium). (1) (2)
Anti-oxidants: These are also food preservatives that inhibit the ripening and enzymatic reactions that continue in food after harvesting. Anti-oxidants include rosemary extract, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and tocopherols. (2) (3)
Coloring and Color Enhancers: These impart certain colors to food or replace colors lost during food processing. Examples are caramel, carotene, and food colorings (dyes) like Blue #1, Red #3 and FD&C; Yellow No. 5. (3) (4)
Emulsifiers: Emulsifiers are used in the production of food that contains fat and water e.g. butter, margarine, cheese, and bakery products. They prevent food from separating and include pectin, lecithin, and methylcellulose. Emulsifiers are usually not known to cause any harmful side effects. (2)
Flavors and Flavor Enhancers: These include sweeteners add flavoring to food or improve existing flavors. Examples are aspartame, monosodium glutamate, acesulfame-K, glycerin and saccharin. (2)
Dietary Supplements: These are additives that improve the nutritional content of food. They include vitamins, minerals and yeast. Dietary supplements are not known to have any side effects. (2)
Neutralizing Agents: Neutralizing agents keep the acidity/alkalinity of food at a certain level. This type of additive is not known to cause any harmful effects. Neutralizing agents include citric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, sodium bicarbonate, etc. (2)
Several of the additives listed above can belong to more than one category. For example, sodium nitrite is an antimicrobial preservative and a color enhancer while the vitamins C and E are dietary supplements as well as anti-oxidants.
Side Effects of Food Additives
The side effects of food additives can be grouped as:
– Allergies: Allergies to food additives include the following: headache, rash, hives, stomach ache and asthma attacks (in some people). These allergies are caused mainly by the sulfites. Aspartame causes migraine headaches in some individuals. (2) (5)
– Cancer and Tumors: The occurrence of some cancers and tumors has been linked to consuming several types of food additives. Proof of this has been established in laboratory animals. Such additives include BHA and BHT, saccharin, acesulfame-K, sodium nitrite and potassium bromate. The food coloring Blue #1, Red #3 and some others like them also cause cancer and tumors. (2) (4)
– Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD): Food additives do not actually cause ADHD but have been shown to worsen the condition. Such additives include sodium benzoate and food dyes like FD&C; Yellow No. 5 and FD&C; Yellow No. 6. (6)
– Raised Blood Pressure: Elevated blood pressure can be caused by salt, monosodium glutamate, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). (7)
You should note that these side effects of food additives usually occur only when they are consumed in excess.
Sources:
1. Go Ask Alice!: Food Preservatives and Additives
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1692.html
2. Common Food Additives
http://edition.cnn.com/FOOD/resources/food.for.thought/additives/table.html
3. Food Preservatives – Copper Wiki
http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Food_Preservatives
4. 12 Dangerous Food Additives
http://www.livestrong.com/article/22015-dangerous-additives/
5. The Dangers of Food Additives
http://www.livestrong.com/article/355197-the-dangers-of-food-additives/
6. ADHD Diet: Do Food Additives Cause Hyperactivity?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adhd/AN01721
7. Side Effects of Food Preservatives
http://www.livestrong.com/article/90376-side-effects-preservatives/
