Food Additives and Effects it has on Children:

by Alesha Jansen

Food Additive

noun

any of various natural or synthetic substances, such as salt, monosodium glutamate, or citric acid, used in the commercial processing of food as preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, etc, in order to preserve or add flavour, colour, or texture to processed food

We live in a world where food a lot of time is lacking in substance, the very nutritional building block to a healthy strong body and mind are often missing for our children. Please take time to read the few ways it can affect them, how we can better our children and make a difference in the world. Much of the food we eat in North American are banned in other countries due to the concerns for health and safety. Did you know that 90% of Americans on average spend their grocery budget on processed and packaged food? Eating clean, pure, food the way nature intended it for our bodies is the key to a happy heathy body and mind of our children.

Why food additives are poison to our children’s body:

Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame, which is often labeled in “diet” or “sugar-free,” is carcinogenic (Meaning “A substance or agent that can cause cells to become cancerous by altering their genetic structure so that they multiply continuously and become malignant.”) making up for most of the reports than all other foods and food additives. Aspartame has been linked to some of the causes of

Diabetes
Chronic fatigue,
Alzherimer’s,
Emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety attacks.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

This commonly additive is found in non-diet sodas and basically all processed foods you find on the grocery shelves. Since is it made from corn it is a cheaper alternative for a lot of companies for sweetening their product. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is known to cause the below in children. Levels of mercury are also found in HFCS, simply not good for our children or us.

Weight gain
Cholesterol levels to rise
Damage tissue to the body
Fatigue, crying, irritability, crankiness

Anxiety
Night-waking
Negative effects on memory, attention, language skills and fine motor skills.

Common Food Dyes

Another form of adding artificial or synthetic additives to our products that can cause negative effect to us and our children is food dyes and artificial flavors. Food such as Kool Aid, Mac and Cheese, gummy candies, salad dressings, sodas and fruit juice are known for adding these. Look out for the ones in bold Yellow #6 and Yellow Tartrazine Blue #1 and Blue #2 and Red Dye #3 and Red Dye #40

Blue #1 and Blue #2 are found in your candy, cereal, soda drinks, sport drinks such as Gatorade, Fruit Loops, and Rainbow Goldfish. Try juicing your own fruits and vegetables, there are so many different delicious combinations out there to try if you are looking for something naturally sweeter to drink. Water or milk are always good choices for growing children’s bones and brains.

Red Dye #3 and Red Dye #40 This dye was banned in 1990 but companies are allowed to use this particular dye until supple runs out. A few examples of snacks that have them are Rainbow Goldfish and Fruit Loops Cereal. Either there was a large surplus or the shelf life is indefinite. It has been linked to thyroid cancer and can cause interference with brain-nerve transmission.

Yellow #6 and Yellow Tartrazine can also be found in your packaged food, sodas and candy. This one in particular effects a large amount of children regarding hyperactivity/ADD, asthma and migraines. This link has additional information for further reading: http://www.stopkillingmykids.com/the-side-effects-of-tartrazine/

By knowing some of the common artificial food additives out there we can avoid them. Always read the labels carefully, buy local if you can try and shop for organic or natural products. Spend some family time on the weekend and make several servings of food ahead of time and freeze it for during the week, this will allow you to have something healthy even when life is chaotic. We can make a difference and our children need healthy food so they can function and grow into healthy adults. In our fast-paced time we are not getting nutritionally dense food which our bodies crave and will thank you. Cheers to a happy and healthy you!