Unless you’re living on a farm in the middle of
nowhere, chances are you consume at least
some packaged foods. Food scientists around
the world are always working hard (not smart)
at finding the cheapest ingredients to extend
shelf life. Unfortunately, their job is not to look
out for your health. Many ingredients used to
sweeten, preserve and emulsify foods also rob
your body of critical nutrients. Here are the
one’s to look out for.
“Even if you’re eating a well-balanced diet,
you’re likely consuming some packaged foods,
such as cereal, yogurt, and frozen vegetables,
that are going to make you deficient in at least
one micronutrient,” says certified nutritionist
Mira Calton, who co-authored the book Rich
Food, Poor Food with husband Jayson
Calton, Ph.D. “The fact is, Americans are
overfed, but under-nourished.”
Ridding your diet of the following toxins hem
will help you retain more micronutrients with
every bite.
1) PROCESSED SUGAR
Aliases: Agave nectar, brown sugar, cane
crystals, cane sugar, caramel, crystalline
fructose, dextrose, evaporated cane juice,
fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, honey,
invert sugar, lactose, maltose, malt syrup,
molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, syrup
Found in: Sodas, dessert items, candies, frozen
fruits and vegetables with sauces or
marinades, sauces, soups
Robs Your Body of: Vitamin C, calcium,
magnesium
“Vitamin C and glucose use the same
transporters to get into cells, so they compete
with one another,” Calton says. Our body
wants to absorb a limited amount of fructose,
adds Paul Jaminet, Ph.D., co-author ofPerfect
Health Diet , and “when we consume more
than that, the intestine rejects it and feeds gut
bacteria, leading to bacteria overgrowth.” This
extra bacteria tends to steal nutrients and
damage intestinal cells, he says, inhibiting
absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient
Depletion: Weaker immune system and bones,
poorer night’s sleep, compromised cellular and
nerve function, chronic inflammation
2) DISTILLED WATER
Aliases : N/A
Found in: Juices, Carbonated Beverages
Robs Your Body of: Electrolytes, Micronutrients
Distillation will remove impurities found in
water but will also remove the naturally
occurring minerals. The WHO and others
studied the use of distilled water and found
that because it is stripped of all minerals it can
cause electrolyte imbalances in your body.
Your body will leach electrolytes from your
tissues in order to add them to the mineral free
water you are drinking. This is necessary so
that your body can function normally and
eliminate waste. If the water redistribution
process in your body is not functioning
properly, you may experience fatigue,
weakness, headache, muscle cramps and an
abnormal heart rate. The acidic nature of
distilled water is also a significant health
concern as the pH is not found in nature.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient
Depletion: Long-term use can cause mineral
loss if not replaced by other foods which may
increase your risk for osteoporosis,
osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, hypertension,
coronary artery disease and premature aging.
3) HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN
SYRUP
Aliases: Corn sweetener, corn syrup, corn
sugar
Found in: Packaged foods, cookies, cakes,
breakfast cereals, soda, frozen veggies, yogurt,
juices, condiments
Robs Your Body of: Chromium, magnesium,
zinc
The average American consumed 131 calories
of high-fructose corn syrup daily in 2011, the
most recent year that the USDA has data for.
“Biologically this sweetener has the same
effects on your health as sugar, including the
formation of sintestinal bacterial overgrowth
(SIBO),” Jaminet says. This is a common
condition found in most people suffering from
IBS, according to a 2010 report published
the World Journal of Gastroenterol. Unlike
sugar, however, HFCS doesn’t trigger the “I’m
full” hormone leptin in the brain, Calton adds,
making it easier to overeat, which may lead to
obesity.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient
Depletion: Impaired immune function, hair loss,
lowered blood sugar regulation, elevated
triglycerides, discomfort, bloating, diarrhea,
obesity
4) SOY
Aliases: Dozen of aliases for soy are found in
food products such as soy lecithin, asian
cuisine flavoring, hydrolyzed plant protein,
shoyu sauce, protein isolate, soybean oil,
textured vegetable protein, vegetable broth,
thickening agents and many others.
Found in: Hundreds of packaged foods, soy
milk, meal replacements, nutrition supplements,
sauces, baked goods, dressings, spices, soups,
pastas.
Robs Your Body of: Iron, enzymes
Soy has become a major source of toxicity for
human beings, especially in the last three
decades. Not only is more than 99% of soy
genetically modified, but sources labeled
organic or non-GMO are often exposed to the
same problems as conventional soy. If you
consume processed foods, soy is almost
impossible to avoid. With the exception of
wheat, there are few foods that are causing as
many health problems as soy in the food
supply. Here are 12 reasons to avoid any kind
of soy .
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient
Depletion: Growth problems, cancer, infertility,
thyroid hormone depletion, allergies,
immunotoxicity.

5) *** ADDED PECTIN ***
Aliases: N/A
Found in: Jams, jellies, fruit juices, milk drinks, canned frosting, yogurt
Robs Your Body of: Beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein
Pectin may look and behave like good-for-you fiber, but it’s not always
working in your favor. “While this glue-like food moves through you, things get
stuck to it, including essential nutrients, which inevitably leave the body with
it,” Calton says. “You’re simply not going to reap the full benefits of
lycopene–or any of these antioxidants–if you’re also consuming foods that
contain added pectin.” So keep eating your apples and other foods that
contain natural pectin, but skip it when it shows up on the label.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient Depletion: Eyesight conditions,
decreased immune response, frequent viral infections
6) *** DISODIUM EDTA ***
Alias: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid
Found in: Processed foods
Robs Your Body of: Vitamin C, magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, potassium
Disodium EDTA excels at preserving the color and flavor of foods. “It grabs
any free metals that would normally promote oxidation, therefore increasing
shelf life,” Jaminet says. That’s also the reason prescribe it to people
suffering from heavy metal poisoning: It clings to minerals in your digestive
tract and pulls them out, leaving them to be disposed through your feces,
Calton says. However, just as in relationships, clinginess is a bad thing for
healthy people because when you eat foods with the preservative, it pulls out
both bad and crucial minerals and disturbs gut bacteria.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient Depletion: Digestive issues, weaker
immune system, compromised cellular and nerve function, anemia, cramps,
kidney damage
7) *** PHOSPHORIC ACID ***
Aliases: N/A
Found in: Sodas, some flavored waters
Robs Your Body of: Calcium, magnesium
This chemical additive that’s used to keep carbonated drinks from going flat
packs a one-two punch for your bones. In addition to blocking the absorption
of calcium and magnesium, it may also be dipping into your personal calcium
supply in your bones. “Calcium and phosphorus like to be bonded,” Jaminet
explains, “so when you take in phosphorus without calcium, it’ll take whatever
calcium is currently in your body. Because calcium comes hand-in-hand with
magnesium, when you lose one, you lose the other.” A study published in
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that women who drank an
average of five colas a week had lower bone mass density than non-cola
drinkers, possibly due to lower phosphorus-to-calcium ratios.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient Depletion: Poorer bone and teeth
health, osteoporosis, cramping and spasms, increased food cravings
*** GUAR GUM ***
Aliases: N/A
Found in: Beverages, soups, cottage cheese, some frozen desserts
Robs Your Body of: Beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein
“This fiber from guar beans, which functions as a thicker, feeds gut bacteria,”
Jaminet says. And, just as with sugar, this causes an overproduction of
bacteria, which compete for key nutrients. In fact, eating guar gum may reduce
absorption of carotenoids by 22 percent, according to research out of the
Technical University of Munich.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient Depletion: Eye diseases, such as
macular degeneration
9) *** SYNTHETIC SULFITES ***
Aliases: Sodium sulfites, sulfer dioxide, sodium disulfite, calcium sulfites
Found in: Potatoes, white rice, shrimp, wine, beer, some medications
Robs Your Body of: Thiamine (vitamin B1)
Used to keep foods and drinks from browning or losing color and banned in
fresh fruits and vegetables, “synthetic sulfites destroy thiamine, which plays a
crucial role in mental clarity and heart health,” Calton says. Severe thiamine
deficiency can lead to beriberi disease, a condition that’s common among
people who abuse alcohol but is rare in the general population. Sulfites may
also potentially life-threatening food allergies in some people, especially
asthmatics, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient Depletion: Decreased energy levels,
cataracts (Extreme conditions, such as beriberi disease, also increase the risk
of complications involving the nervous system, brain, muscles, heart, and
gastrointestinal system)
10) *** CANOLA OIL ***
Aliases: rapeseed oil, vegetable oil,
Found in: Hundreds of processed foods
Robs Your Body of: Vitamin E and other complementary antioxidants in foods
Genetically modified Canola was derived in the 70s from cross-breeding of
multiple lines of the rape plant to produce a much lower percentage of erucic
acid, a known food borne toxin. In 1995 Monsanto created a genetically
modified version of canola oil. Today almost 100% of Canola is genetically
engineered. Thus, Canola is GMO by design and non-gmo or organic canola is
more of a misnomer. It’s another industry tactic to make consumers believe
something is organic in nature which has never been by origin. Almost all
Canola is now modified to be resistant to Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup.
More than one study has now verified that there is a large-scale escape of a
genetically modified Canola in the United States.
Increased Health Risks Due to Nutrient Depletion: Excess inflammation in the
body which can cause anything from arthritis to more serious diseases such
as Parkinson’s, bipolar moods, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive
disorders. Consumption of canola oil consumption has been correlated with
development of fibrotic lesions of the heart, CNS degenerative disorders, lung
cancer, and prostate cancer, anemia, and constipation.
Sources:
Waking Times
mensfitness.com
preventdisease.com
shape.com