Preservatives; top eight culprits behind food, beverage and product related illnesses

If you've ever eaten a piece of white bread, with a slap of margarine and a swig of fruit juice or maybe a sip of wine you may not have given what you just consumed a thought. However….did you know that what you just ate could actually cause brain damage? That sounds too severe to be true, but it is. Preservatives lurk behind any food or beverage product that has any shelf life beyond a natural existence or has been "added" to for preservation. Almost any "convenience" store product is loaded with preservatives and many everyday products have some degree of preservatives hidden below the surface. Here are just the top eight preservatives, what they are thought to do to our body and where they may exist in food:

Benzoates – Known to cause allergies and (possibly) brain damage and recommended to avoid use in hyperactive (ADD) related conditions. Found in sodas, fruit juices, flour, beer and margarine and some shampoos and dog food.

Bromates – Destroy the nutrients in food. Side effects can result in diarrhea. Most breads (white and others) contain bromates. Often found in municipal drinking water and was recently discovered in a popular bottled water, forcing a recall of the product.

BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene) – Also known as a "synthetic" antioxidant used when preserving food. The National Institute of Health reports that BHA is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogenic forming cancerous cells at some level in various testing studies (see www.nih.gov). Sometimes used in canned prepackaged meats, snack type foods and beer.

Glutamates – Various symptoms from heart palpitations to headaches. Thought to be cancer producing. Used in many "junk" food products.

Mono- and Di-glycerides – Thought to be associated with some cancers and birth defects. Food groups include snack food items (i.e. cookies, candies, pies, cakes, peanut butter, and vegetables with sauce, margarines/shortenings and dry roasted nuts).

Nitrates and Nitrites - Carcinogens (cancer) producing. Typically used for preserving meat.

Propyl gallate - Associated with causing birth defects and liver damage. Found in everything from chewing gum to pickles, sauce to vegetables and most meat products.

Sulfites – Known as the most "common" food preservative. Associated with various symptoms including allergies, headaches, heart palpitations and cancer. Often hidden in corn syrup, cornstarch, wine vinegar, wine, and dried fruit.

Learn to read the label on any product that has an expiration date on the label including fresh, frozen, dried, hydrated, canned and/or boxed food and beverages. Fresh whole food including fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood (that aren't canned, frozen and/or dried) are typically the safest food products to purchase – but read the label to make certain you know (what and if) the food/beverage you, your loved ones and your animals consume contain any level of harmful preservatives.