Are Additives The Culprit?

 

There’s hundreds of additives that are listed as ‘safe’ in Australia, that are listed as “carcinogenic” by the World Health Organisation, and are considered unsafe in Europe.

Food additives includes colours, preservatives, sweeteners, flavours, emulsifiers and stabilisers. Essentially anything with a number is an additive. Take wrap bread, for example. It’s an easy, 'healthy' option for lunch, pizza bases and to nibble on during the day, right? Nope. They're actually one of the foods with the highest number of additives you'll find on the supermarket shelf, including

Most wraps breads like Mission and Helgas have over 20 ingredients and over 10 additives.

Now, a good quality wrap bread should have no more than 4 ingredients and zero additives.

A simple switch is Mountain Bread, for example, which has 3 ingredients - flour, filtered water and sea salt with zero additives, that you can get at Coles and Woolies for a few bucks.

There's more than 300 food additives that are approved in Australia, this doesn't make them healthy. In Europe, some of the additives we use in Aus are labelled with a warning that it can affect children's behaviour!

Additives have been added to our foods to make them look more presentable, tasty and shelf stable. The most common problematic ones are artificial colours, which are numbers 100-199, including:

  • Brilliant Blue 133,

  • Sunset Yellow 110,

  • Red 124,

  • Fast Green 143.

Additives like these are made in a lab with chemicals derived from petroleum. These colour additives and are not considered safe in other countries, where products with colours need a warning label, including Europe and the USA. These additives are linked with behavioural issues, allergic reactions and can disrupt hormones.

Nitrates, a common preservative in ham and bacon has been declared by the World Health Organisation, over 8 years ago, as “human carcinogen". Start with cutting out any colours, and read labels on all packets/jars/cans. Keep it simple and if you see a number (or ten numbers!) on the label, put it back on the shelf. It’s not real food. Check out the EWG's "Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives" to see which additives to avoid.

The best way to avoid additives is to avoid processed foods.

I am a Naturopath and Nutritionist based in Lane Cove on Sydney's North Shore. I offer in person and online consultations so I can work with you from anywhere in the world! My mission is to help you restore vibrant health. I keep it simple! There’s no calorie counting, deprivation or fads. I draw on scientific research and clinical experience to give you personalised recommendations including practical nutritional recommendations, which includes 7-day meal ideas, recipes and shopping lists, and easy-to-apply lifestyle recommendations. I look forward to connecting with you!

 
Olivia McFadyen