Common Food Additives POISONS
Beware: Deadly Chemicals Transform Healthful Foods into Hidden Dangers!
By Sue Mosebar and Linda O'Byrne
In our opinion, your grocery store should be a place filled with healthful foods that nourish your body and fill you with vibrant energy. After all, that's what food is for, right?
Unfortunately, that isn't always the case. Lurking in every aisle, you can find seemingly innocent foods packed with dangerous chemicals. Fat-trapping additives. Performance-wrecking preservatives. Mentally-damaging flavorings and colorings. The list goes on.
"...turn that box over, and hidden in the ingredients, you'll find some alarmingly unhealthful ingredients."
For just one example, a popular cracker has the claim of "whole-grain goodness" in big, bold letters on the front of the box. But turn that box over, and hidden in the ingredients, you'll find some alarmingly unhealthful ingredients. Hydrogenated fats.
High-fructose corn syrup. MSG. Someone tell me, what type of "goodness" is that?!
If you're not sure what those ingredients are or why you should be horrified by this chemical assault on your health and fitness goals, then read on, my friend. Our goal in this "eye-opening" article is to provide you with a healthy dose of information, so you
may never again walk through the aisles of your local grocery store unarmed.
Deadly Food Ingredient: Hydrogenated Fats
 Also known as (and hidden on ingredient panels): hydrogenated oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (PHO), trans fats, trans fatty acids, shortening, vegetable shortening
What is it? Hydrogenation of fats is a process that was introduced on a large scale in the 1930's and occurs during the manufacturer's process to give foods a longer shelf-life and improve mouth feel. Basically, these fats are heated and exposed to hydrogen gas to give them their new structure as a hydrogenated fat.
 Do you know what kinds of poisons could be hidden in this innocent looking lunch? Where is it commonly found? Many foods in the grocery stores, especially processed foods (not surprisingly) and baked goods, like cookies and chips. In fact, approximately 40% of all foods in the grocery story contain them. And fast foods are notoriously loaded with hydrogenated fats. These fats can also be found in small
amounts naturally in beef and butter fat.
You would think that our industry—health and fitness—would never even consider using such a deadly ingredient, but guess again. Although it's not in great amounts, you can still find hydrogenated oils in many of today's popular meal replacement shakes and protein powders as well as in numerous "nutrition" bars. So, if you're using one of these instant nutrition meals or grabbing a quick bar, do yourself a favor and check out your label, carefully, before you stick it in your mouth. You might be surprised.
Why is it bad? Surprisingly, trans fats were once thought to be safer than the saturated fats they were meant to replace. We now know that is absolutely not the case due to their unfortunate effects on blood cholesterol levels. That is, they raise LDL (i.e., bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (i.e., good) cholesterol, clogging arteries. Thus, they cause tens of thousands of heart attacks each year.
They've also been shown to interfere with the functions of essential fatty acids. They promote insulin resistance, increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes. And, they have undeniably contributed to the obesity epidemic.
Labeling laws on foods are now changing, so trans fats at least have to be listed on the Nutrition Facts panel. But don't stop at the Trans Fat column! You still need to look at the ingredients list due to a nice little labeling loophole. See, some products claim to have zero grams of trans fat, but when you check the list of ingredients, you'll still find partially hydrogenated oil listed. That's because, under FDA regulations, if the serving contains less than 0.5 grams, the company can claim 0 trans fats on the label.
"...the estimated average intake of trans fats in the U.S.
diet is around 12 grams a day."
Make no mistake, these fake fats have absolutely no nutritional value. The FDA has recently stated that there are no "safe" levels of trans fats. But that doesn't keep them out of the food supply: the estimated average intake of trans fats in the U.S.
diet is around 12 grams a day. Others claim that one percent or less of our calories should come from trans fats. Or, basically, the amount you can find in foods naturally. Anything more is a heart attack on a plate.
Editor's Note: That's the problem with "sneak peaks," isn't it? They leave you wanting to find out more...
So, if you're eager to find out the four other common foods found any grocery store that could be preventing you from obtaining a lean, healthy, muscular body, click here to subscribe and receive the next issue of Real SOLUTIONS (which is at the printers as we speak, er, write).
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