Food Additives and Cancer Scare

1. Food Additives and Cancer Scare

2. A common belief held in the minds of the cosmopolitan populace is food additives cause cancer. In fact, it is one of the most dreaded fears in the minds of people that, food additives are harmful and could cause cancer. Thus, additives, of all types, should be avoided. True, additives are to be avoided, and the more you can eat natural foods the better for your health. However, the belief that food additives trigger cancer is a misconception.

3. There are several health food manufacturers and companies benefiting from this myth and trying to assure the common mass that their food preparations are free from all sorts of artificial preservatives and additives. The most feared additives are the ones that you cannot pronounce long chain of letters and chemical number with a combination of numbers.

4. Cancer specialists have tried to explain that food additives are not directly the cause of cancer, though they could be an addition to aggravated stages. Present Evidence and Proofmodern day evidence has too much information to make believe the fact that additives are harmful.

5. Food Additive: What is it? With too many ingredients and chemical names added to our foods, which are the ones meant to be included and avoided? That’s the big question. Sugar and salt are used since eternity, for preserving foods – are they also additives? Precisely, anything that can be added to food, before or during processing, is known as an additive. So, if ice-cream is taken as an example, air is an additive.

6. Use of Additive in Modern Life Additives serve an array of uses and purposes. For instance, preservative are used for protecting foods against rancidity and deterioration; it also prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi. Some additives help in improving the consistency and texture of foods, thereby keeping them free flowing when poured, and preventing them from becoming dry. Flavoring restoration additives are also used for enhancing aroma or flavor of foods. Emulsifiers ensure that water and oil in foods don’t separate.

7. Most of the additives are artificial, having complex and unpronounceable chemical names, which makes them scarier. Some of the common ones used in today’s foods are: • Etanol • Acetaldehyde • Ethyl pentanoate • Propan-1-oI • Ethyl hexanoate • 2 methyl butyl acetate The aforementioned chemical names are added flavor for apples.

8. Bottom-line Even though evidence reveals that most of the preservatives and additives used in our foods are not carcinogens, it’s imperative to note that obesity is one of the leading causes of cancer and similar other diseases. Therefore, cancer specialists suggest that it is very important to understand the indirect effects of these food additives. Processed looks contain additional amount of additives, and are usually less healthy. Therefore, avoiding processed foods and eating less often is one of the key to avoid the same. The best way of minimizing additive intake is to have healthy and whole foods. Fresh foods do not contain additives and they help in reducing the risk of not just cancer but also other diseases caused by lifestyle disorders.

9. It is not possible to prove absolute safety of food additives. Even though vigorous tests are conducted for assessing the safety levels of additives, there is no certainty. Visit us: To know more on Nutrition and Food diet