The Additive Invasion: carcinogenicity, teratogenecity and mutagenecity

There are now over 3,000 additives in our foods. Incredibly, only 7% have any nutritional value. Each American consumes around nine pounds of these additives each year and some geneticists are warning that we have no way of knowing what effect these substances will have on our DNA.

There are three main threats to health associated with food additives:
carcinogenicity, the danger of producing cancer,
teratogenecity, the danger of harming a fetus, and,
mutagenecity, the danger of changing gene patterns.

Unfortunately, most additives are only tested for acute toxicity to determine whether or not they do immediate damage to any of the body’s organs. There’s no way they can be accurately tested for teratogenecity and for genetic effects. Furthermore, little consideration is given as to how different chemicals are going to affect us when they are consumed together over long periods.

Eighty percent of our food is now factory produced. It has been taken apart, put back together, and in some ways permanently altered. During this process many vital nutrients are lost. Food producers claim that they are able to replace lost nutrients, but the nutrients put back are determined by cost rather than by human nutritional needs. They don’t make up for what’s lost.

Take bread, for example. All the vital nutrients are lost in the refining of flour. Some of the lost nutrients are fibre, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc, magnesium, copper, vitamin B, iron, phosphorous, and vitamin E. The only nutrients added back into the bread are nicotinic acid, B1, chalk calcium, and a cheap form of iron our bodies can’t use very well.

In addition, animal food is laced with antibiotics to slow spoilage and evidence of disease. Even fresh fruits and vegetables are no longer entirely fresh. They’re sprayed with pesticides, and are sometimes artificially ripened with ethane gas, then waxed or put into cold storage steeped in inert gases.

Clearly, it’s wise to exercise caution in consuming additives. Here are some ways to reduce your additive intake:

Avoid bottled, tinned and packaged food. Replace them with fruits and vegetables. Eat as much raw and organic food as possible.
Read labels and watch out for foods that contain sugar and salt. Don’t be misled by words like glucose, dextrose, or corn syrup. They’re all sugar.
Give up processed snacks. Choose nuts and fruits instead.
Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts, and seeds for vitamins and minerals.
Use only whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat. A good policy is not to eat any grains that are white.