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Alternative Medicine:
A Comparison
FDA World: 1965-2008
A tiny peek into the mind of the FDA
Can Environment Affect Your Health?
Vaccines: The Whole Truth And Nothing But
What is Your Prescription Medication Doing To You?
Timing Increases Effects of Supplements, Drugs and Surgery
The Brain-Gut Connection
Minerals and Their Function
Check Your Digestion
Who is Angel?
   |
|
Name
|
E #
|
Usage
|
Facts you need to
know
|
|
Allura
Red AC
|
E129
|
Food coloring in
snacks, sauces,
preserves, soups,
wine, cider, etc.
|
Avoid if you suffer
from asthma,
rhinitis (including
hayfever), or
urticaria (hives).
|
|
Amaranth
|
E123
|
Food coloring in
wine, spirits, fish
roe.
|
Banned in the U.S.
Avoid if you suffer
from asthma,
rhinitis, urticaria
or other allergies.
|
|
Aspartame
|
E951
|
Sweetener in snacks,
sweets, alcohol,
desserts, ~diet"
foods
|
May affect people
with PKU (phenylketonuria).
Recent reports show
possibility of
headaches,
blindness, and
seizures with
long-term high doses
of aspartame.
|
|
Benzoic acid
|
E210
|
Preservative in many
foods, including
drinks, low sugar
products, cereals,
meat products.
|
Can temporarily
inhibit the function
of digestive
enzymes. May deplete
glycine levels.
Avoid ifyou suffer
from asthma,
rhinitis, urticaria
or other allergies.
|
|
Brilliant
Black BN
|
E151
|
In drinks, sauces,
snacks, wines,
cheese, etc.
|
Avoid if you suffer
from asthma,
rhinitis, urticaria,
or other allergies.
|
|
Butylated Hydroxy-anisole
|
E320
|
Preservative,
particularly in
fat-containing
foods,
confectionery,
meats.
|
The International
Agency for Research
on Cancer says BHA
is possibly
carcinogenic to
humans. BHA also
interacts with
nitrites to form
chemicals known to
cause changes in the
DNA of cells.
|
|
Calcium benzoate
|
E213
|
Preservative in many
foods, including
drinks, low-sugar
products, cereals,
meat products.
|
Can temporarily
inhibit function of
digestive enzymes
and may deplete
levels ofthe amino
acid glycine. Should
be avoided by those
with hay fever,
hives, and asthma.
|
|
Calcium sulphite
|
E226
|
Preservative in a
vast array of
foods-from burgers
to biscuits, from
frozen mushrooms to
horseradish. Used to
make old produce
look fresh.
|
In the U.S.,
sulphites are banned
from many foods,
including meat. They
can cause bronchial
problems, flushing,
low blood pressure,
tingling, and
anaphylactic shock.
The International
Labour Organization
says avoid them
ifyou suffer from
bronchial asthma,
cardiovascular or
respiratory problems
and emphysema.
|
|
Monosodium glutamate
(MSG)
|
E621
|
Flavor enhancer.
|
Has been known to
cause pressure on
the head, seizures,
chest pains,
headache, nausea,
burning sensations,
and tightness of
face. Many baby food
producers have
stopped adding MSG
to their products.
|
|
Ponceau 4R,
Conchineal
Red A
|
E124
|
Food coloring.
|
People who suffer
from asthma,
rhinitis or
urticaria may find
their symptoms
become worse
following
consumption of foods
containing this
coloring.
|
|
Potassium benozoate
|
E212
|
See calcium
benzoate.
|
See calcium
benzoate.
|
|
Potassium nitrate
|
E249
|
Preservative in
cured meats and
canned meat
products.
|
It can lower the
oxygen-carrying
capacity of the
blood; it may
combine with other
substances to form
nitrosamines, which
are carcinogenic;
and it may have an
atrophying effect on
the adrenal gland.
|
|
Propyl
p-hydroxybenozoate,
propylparaben, and
paraben
|
F216
|
Preservative in
cereals, snacks,
pate, meat products,
confectionery.
|
Parabens have been
identified as the
cause of chronic
dermatitis in
numerous instances.
|
|
Saccharin & its
Na, K and Ca salts
|
E954
|
Sweetener in diet,
and no-sugar
products.
|
The International
Agency for Research
on Cancer has
concluded that
saccharin is
possibly
carcinogenic to
humans.
|
|
Sodium
metabisulphite
|
|
Preservative and
antioxidant.
|
May provoke
life-threatening
asthma.
|
|
Sodium sulphite
|
E221
|
Preservative used in
wine-making and
other processed
foods.
|
Sulphites have been
associated with
triggering asthma
attacks. Most
asthmatics are
sensitive to
sulphites in food.
|
|
Stannous chloride
(tin)
|
E512
|
Antioxidant and
color-retention
agent in canned and
bottled foods, fruit
juices.
|
Acute poisoning has
been reported from
ingestion of fruit
juices containing
concentrations of
tin greater than 250
mg per liter.
|
|
Sulphur dioxide
|
E220
|
Preservative.
|
Sulphur dioxide
reacts with a wide
range of substances
found in food,
including various
essential vitamins,
minerals, enzymes
and essential fatty
acids. Adverse
reactions: bronchial
problems
particularly in
those prone to
asthma, hypotension
(low blood
pressure), flushing
tingling sensations
or anaphylactic
shock. International
Labour Organization
says to avoid E220
if you suffer from
conjunctivitis,
bronchitis,
emphysema, bronchial
asthma, or
cardiovascular
disease.
|
|
Sunset Yellow
FCF, Orange
Yellow S
|
E110
|
Food coloring.
|
Some animal studies
have indicated
growth retardation
and severe weight
loss. People with
asthma, rhinitis, or
urticaria should
avoid this product.
|
|
Tartrazine
|
E102
|
Yellow food
coloring.
|
May cause allergic
reactions and
asthmatic attacks
and has been
implicated in bouts
of hyperactivity
disorder in
children. Those who
suffer from asthma,
rhinitis and
urticaria may find
symptoms worsen
after consumption.
|
Pesticides
With today's chemical
farming, even the old adage that "an apple a day keeps the doctor
away" must be questioned. For the caterpillar, one brief journey
across the average apple is enough to kill it. But what about us?
According to the World Health Organization, there were three million
cases of severe pesticide poisoning and 20,000 deaths globally in
1996. A survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
found that 89% to 99% of all fresh fruit, cereals, and vegetables
are sprayed with pesticides! That means that pesticides used in
animal feed also contaminate most meat and milk.
Although few proper surveys have been carried out to find the
extent of the problem, the Association for Public Analysts randomly
tested 305 fruits: 31 of the samples contained pesticide residues
above the safety levels, and another 72 samples showed lower
pesticide residues. Some fruits-particularly strawberries,
raspberries, grapes, and tomatoes had measurable levels of at least
six different pesticides! More recent concerns deal with the level
of chemicals in carrots and lettuce. In 1994, a survey of carrots
found some to have levels 25 times higher than the safety limit. In
1995, 10% of lettuces tested had levels in excess of the safety
limit.
What can you do to protect yourself?
1.
Select organic fruit and vegetables whenever
possible. Wash or peel non-organic produce.
2. Choose fruits and
vegetables in season. This means that your exposure
to the chemicals used to delay ripening, prolong
shelf-life, preserve color and so on, will be
limited.
3. Supplement your
diet with antioxidant nutrients-vitamins A, C, and
E, and the minerals zinc and selenium-since the
detoxification of many pesticides involves these
nutrients.
Food Additives
Chemicals are
purposely added to food to change its color, preserve it, prevent
rancidity, keep fats emulsified, and foods stable. Most of the
chemicals are synthetic compounds, some with known negative health
effects. But more importantly, we don't really know what the
long-term consequences of consuming such large amounts of additives
are. It is therefore best to avoid all additives, with a few notable
exceptions.
Since foods without preservatives are more likely to spoil, it's
important to buy fresh produce and consume it relatively quickly.
However, there are some additives you don't need to avoid:
|
Colors
|
E101
E160
|
vitamin B2
carotene, vitamin A
|
|
Antioxidants
|
E300-304 E306-309
|
vitamin C,
tocopherols like
vitamin E
|
|
Emulsifiers
|
E322
|
lecithin
|
|
Stabilizers
|
E375 E440
|
niacin
pectin
|
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