Artificial Flavorings and Colorings

If you look at the labels of processed foods you will notice that many of them contain "artificial colorings &/or flavorings". Seven artificial dyes were initially approved for use under the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. They are used to mask natural variations in color in some products in order to offset color loss due to light, air, extremes of temperature, moisture, and storage condition; mask natural variations in color; enhance naturally occurring colors, provide identity to foods; or for decorative or artistic purposes such as cake icing. Artificial colors have been linked to allergic reactions, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity, headaches and fatigue. These artificial colors are chemical compounds made mainly from coal-tar derivatives (yuck)! The following dyes are seen as the greatest offenders: Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Orange B, Red 40 and Red 3. Dr. Benjamin Feingold of Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Francisco has done extensive research on the effect of artificial colors on health, especially on children. He found that artificial food dyes also cause behavioral disorders and learning disabilities.

Artificial flavors are also linked to numerous sensitivities and are cheaply produced chemical mixtures that mimic a natural flavor. Usually these chemical mixtures are made up of many different volatile chemicals. A typical artificial strawberry flavor, for example, is comprised of 50 different chemicals! It is generally regarded that natural flavoring is a healthier option but that is not always so as natural and artificial flavors may contain the same chemicals. For example, the chemical amyl acetate is the dominate chemical in banana flavoring. When it is distilled from bananas using a solvent it is considered a natural flavor, however when it is produced by mixing amyl alcohol with vinegar and uses sulfuric acid as a catalyst, it is considered an artificial flavor. Another example would be almond flavor. When this flavor (chemically it is benzaldehyde) is derived from peach or apricot pits, it contains a substance known as hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. When benzaldehyde is derived by mixing oil of clove with amyl acetate it does not contain the poison but is still considered an artificial flavoring. So in this instance it is probably wise to stick with the artificial flavor!

Both artificial flavors and colors have been linked to ADD & ADHD so it is important for parents to look out for these ingredients on food labels and avoid them as much as possible. In fact, beginning on January 1, 2010, the European Union will require all food with dyes to contain a warning linking dyes to hyperactivity. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is lobbying the FDA to ban these substances. You can read more about their work here.

Next blog... a discussion about caffeine.

Trans Fats

Monday I blogged about High Fructose Corn Syrup, the first blog in a series of blogs about ingredients we should try to avoid and why. Today I'm going to focus on trans fats. What are trans fats? Trans fats are liquid vegetable oils that have been solidified by chemically altering them by adding hydrogen and can be found in many processed junk foods, frozen foods, margarines, french fries, donuts and other baked goods. Trans fats are generally used to enhance flavor, extend shelf life of packaged foods, and give a more solid texture to baked and fried foods. They have been linked to heart disease, increase in bad (LDL) cholesterol and decrease of good (HDL) cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer. As of January 2006 the FDA has required all packaged foods to list their trans fat content on their nutrition label. This is a great step forward, however a food can be labeled as "trans fat free" if it contains less than half a gram per serving so it's important to read the ingredient list. Avoid foods that contain any kind of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. A small amount of natural trans fats can be found in meat and dairy, however the man made form is much worse for you. According the the University of Maryland Medical Center website, "The stiffer and harder fats are, the more they clog up your arteries. Artificial trans fats do the same thing in our bodies that bacon grease does to kitchen sinks. Over time, they can "clog the pipes" that feed the heart and brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke risk." There is a national movement to get trans fats ban which you can read about here. Coming up next blog... artificial flavorings and colorings.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

There is so much in the news these days stating that we should try to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) but do most people understand why? HFCS is being touted by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) as a natural sweetener that can be a healthy part of the American diet that can be found in everything from cereal, ice cream, bread, ketchup, soda, yogurt, baked goods and more. It is used as a sugar substitute or additional sweetener, primarily because it is easier to blend, is cheaper than regular sugar, and extends the shelf life of products containing it. The CRA's claim that HFCS is an all natural sweetener has been challenged due to the high processing that occurs to produce it as well as the presence of at least one genetically modified enzyme required for production. Today Americans consume more HFCS than sugar due to its widespread use in thousands of products. In 1960, Americans were not consuming any HFCS whereas currently the average American consumes a whopping 63 lbs per year (that's 128,000 calories!). When HFCS is ingested it is immediately sent to the liver where it is turned into fat. Unlike other carbohydrates, HFCS does not cause the pancreas to produce insulin which acts as a hunger quenching signal to the brain. So even if your diet is high in calories you never feel full and continue to eat food that is immediately stored as fat.

If you're concerned about the amount of high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners in your diet, consider these tips:

• Limit processed foods.
• Avoid foods that contain added sugar.
• Choose fresh fruit rather than fruit juice or fruit-flavored drinks. Even 100 percent fruit juice has a high concentration of sugar.
• Choose fruit canned in its own juices instead of heavy syrup.
• Drink less soda.
• Don't allow sweetened beverages to replace milk, especially for children.

The Great Organic Debate

A study came out recently stating that organic foods are no better nutritionally than regular foods. While that may be true there are still many reasons to eat organic. Unfortunately at this time organic foods are more expensive than non-organic however with over 2/3 of US consumers buying organic (according to the Organic Trade Association) hopefully the prices will start to come down. The number one reason to eat organic is due to the many toxic effects of the pesticides, herbicides, hormones & other chemicals used in non-organic foods. The large-scale farming that we see today using these methods did not start until WWII. Prior to that time everything was organic. Many of the pesticides used in treating produce or feed for animals need to be processed through our immune system and have been shown to build up in our tissue, weakening the immune system and causing cancer as well as liver, kidney and blood diseases. It may not be possible to avoid these chemicals altogether because they end up in the water supply. This is another reason to eat organic - to protect the environment from further damage. If you're interested in reading more about how this happens click here. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the following list is produce that you should try to always buy organic because they are contaminated with the most pesticide residues (even after you wash them): peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. The produce with the lowest levels of pesticide residue are onions, avocados, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, kiwis, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and papayas.

All or Nothing

Have you ever noticed when you go on a diet how it's all or nothing? Some diets you can't ever eat bread, bagels or pasta. Some you can't eat any fat at all. In others sugar is completely taboo. The list goes on. This mindset is detrimental to a diet because by depriving yourself of the things you like (i.e. pizza, ice cream, snickers, etc.) you are only setting yourself up for a binge. Our bodies are pretty smart and if you are craving something, there is probably a good physiological reason for it. For example if you are craving potato chips the sodium levels in your body may be off or if you are craving ice cream your body may be asking for some calcium. The trick is finding healthy alternatives for those cravings and finding a balance between eating healthy most of the time and allowing yourself the occasional treat. If you build a treat into your diet weekly or even daily, you'll be more apt to stick to healthy eating the rest of the time and greatly decrease your chances of a binge. When most people are on a diet and "cheat" they tend to give up - this is where the all or nothing comes in. So if you go to a party and eat all the pigs-in-a-blanket in sight - it's o.k. You aren't doomed to a lifetime of failed diets. Diets don't work anyway because they imply something that you go on and off. Healthy eating should be a lifestyle change but don't get carried away or take it too seriously. Have ice cream and french fries once in a while!!