Virtually all of the food you buy is labeled. Part of the labeling is the ingredients of the package of food you are purchasing. We hear that processed food is not good for us, yet virtually every can or package of food we purchase is processed.
In this column we are going to look at a few labels and see what exactly is in the food we are eating, but first I think it is important to know what exactly these ingredients that are listed on the label are. Let’s look at two of the most common ingredients to avoid.
One of the main ingredients to look out for is excitotoxins. Toxins mean poison, yet these ingredients are the food we eat. Excitotoxins are exactly as they sound. They increase heart rates, cause excitability, obesity, and have an adverse affect on the neuro-endocrine system.
Excitotoxins include Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and aspartame. Both of these poisons are in our food to “make it taste better.” As emergency personnel, we need to avoid these toxins.
MSG
MSG is also labeled in ingredients as “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” or “HVP”, “yeast extract” or “autolyzed proteins,” like aspartame, a member of the group of chemicals known as “excitotoxins.”
The whole premise of using MSG is to give the food a flavor that you want to keep eating more. MSG is known to be used in Chinese and Japanese food.
Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember that the powerful excitotoxins, aspartate and L-cystine, are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require NO LABELING AT ALL.
Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
- Hydrolyzed Protein
- Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
- Plant Protein Extract
- Sodium Caseinate
- Calcium Caseinate
- Yeast Extract
- Textured Protein (Including TVP)
- Autolyzed Yeast
- Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
- Corn Oil
Food Additives That FREQUENTLY Contain MSG
- Malt Extract
- Malt Flavoring
- Bouillon
- Broth
- Stock
- Flavoring
- Natural Flavors/Flavoring
- Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring
- Seasoning
- Spices
Food Additives That MAY Contain MSG Or Excitotoxins
- Carrageenan
- Enzymes
- Soy Protein Concentrate
- Soy Protein Isolate
- Whey Protein Concentrate
- Protease Enzymes of various sources can release excitotoxin amino acids from food proteins.
Aspartame
Sold under dozens of brand names such as NutraSweet and Equal, aspartame breaks down within 20 minutes at room temperature into several primary toxic and dangerous ingredients:
1. DKP (diketopiperazine) (When ingested, converts to a near duplicate of
a powerful brain tumor causing agent)
2. Formic Acid (ant venom)
3. Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
4. Methanol (causes blindness...extremely dangerous substance)
Common examples
Diet soft drinks, sugar free gums, sugar free Kool Aid, Crystal Light, childrens’ medications, and thousands of other products claiming to be ‘low calorie,’ ‘diet,’ or ‘sugar free.’
There are alternatives to sweeteners. Stevia is natural sweetener that does not have the side effects of sugar or aspartame.
Summary
Read the labels on your food. It is surprising what ingredients are in them. Part of maintaining our physical ability to perform as firefighters and emergency service is being cognizant of what we put in our bodies. It affects us in terms of our our health and wellbeing.
References
Blaylock, MD, R. (1997) ‘Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills’ Health Press, Santa Fe, NM
Excitotoxin news, articles and information; NaturalNews.com retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/excitotoxin.html on May 2, 2011