COMMON FOOD ADDITIVE GUIDE - "yay" or "nay" according to a functional nutritionist
ARTIFICIAL COLORING
(Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, etc)
FOUND IN: candies, drinks, condiments, pickles, yogurt, fresh citrus
SOURCE: petroleum
NOTES: tricks brain to think food has nutrients; known carcinogens; can trigger allergies & hyperactivity
RATING: significant concern, reduce at all cost
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
(sucralose, aspertame, saccharin, acesulfame)
FOUND IN: "sugar-free" products, gum, drinks
SOURCE: chemically produced
NOTES: most reported negative side-effects of all food additives; promote weight gain & blood sugar issues
RATING: significant concern, reduce at all cost
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
FOUND IN: baked goods, bread, drinks, candies, ice cream, syrup
SOURCE: corn
NOTES: a cheap/ideal form of sugar for food production; promotes weight gain, blood sugar issues, & inflammation
RATING: significant concern, reduce at all cost
HYDROGENATED OILS
(aka trans fat)
FOUND IN: baked goods, crackers, chips, margarine
SOURCE: chemically produced
NOTES: promote inflammation, cardiovascular issues, weight gain, & blood sugar issues
RATING: significant concern, reduce at all cost
MSG
(monosodium glutamate)
FOUND IN: processed & restaurant food, canned soup, Asian food
SOURCE: fermented sugar
NOTES: enhances umami flavor; can trigger nervous system symptoms (migraines, numbness)
RATING: significant concern, reduce at all cost
CARRAGEENAN
FOUND IN: dairy & gluten free products, nut milks
SOURCE: red seaweed
NOTES: thicken & blend food products; appears to promote inflammation, gut issues, & glucose intolerance
RATING: moderate concern, reduce when possible
PROCESSED OILS
(canola, corn, soy, vegetable, etc)
FOUND IN: baked goods, dressings, processed & restaurant food
SOURCE: processed from grains & seeds
NOTES: often rancid from heating & bleaching during production; promote inflammation & cardiovascular issues
RATING: moderate concern, reduce when possible
SODIUM BENZOATE
FOUND IN: carbonated drinks, juices, condiments, dressings
SOURCE: chemically produced
NOTES: can trigger hyperactivity; with citric/ascorbic acid it converts to carcinogenic benzene
RATING: moderate concern, reduce when possible
SODIUM NITRITE
FOUND IN: processed meat
SOURCE: chemically produced
NOTES: antioxidant to prevent bacterial growth & retain pink color in meat; converts to carcinogenic nitrosamine
RATING: moderate concern, reduce when possible
SUGAR ALCOHOLS
(xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, anything that ends in -itol)
FOUND IN: "sugar-free" products, gum, drinks
SOURCE: processed plant sugars
NOTES: promote cravings & blood sugar issues; can cause digestive issues in large amounts
RATING: moderate concern, reduce when possible
CITRIC ACID
FOUND IN: sweetened drinks, candy, jelly, ice cream, canned fruit
SOURCE: Aspergillus niger (black mold)
NOTES: flavor & preserve food products; can be inflammatory for some people sensitive to mold
RATING: minimal concern, some people may need to reduce
FOOD STARCH
(cornstarch, maltodextrin, corn syrup solids, etc)
FOUND IN: baked goods, processed food, dairy & gluten free products
SOURCE: corn, potato, tapioca, wheat
NOTES: blend & thicken food products; GF unless indicated as wheat starch; can be allergenic for some people
RATING: minimal concern, some people may need to reduce
GUMS
(guar, xanthan, gellan, tara, carob, etc)
FOUND IN: dairy & gluten free products, nut milks
SOURCE: soy, corn, wheat; legumes
NOTES: thicken, blend, & bind food products; feed gut microbes (for better or worse, depending on person)
RATING: minimal concern, some people may need to reduce
LECITHIN
FOUND IN: chocolate, ice cream, baked goods, supplements
SOURCE: soy, sunflower, canola, egg
NOTES: blends food products; aka as phosphatidylcholine supplement; minimally allergenic if from soy
RATING: minimal concern, some people may need to reduce
YEAST EXTRACT
FOUND IN: cheese products, salty foods, canned soup
SOURCE: yeast
NOTES: enhances umami flavor; often used in place of MSG; often found in small amounts
RATING: minimal concern, some people may need to reduce
Are you a health educator that wants to use this content with your clients? Customize the handout template in less time than it would take to even think about hiring a graphic designer.
handout template
After purchase, you’ll receive an email leading to a pdf with the editable Canva template link. Once on Canva, you have the ability to customize this handout to match your brand colors and fonts, add your logo, or resize to fit your needs!
References
Kobylewski, S., & Jacobson, M. F. (2012). Toxicology of food dyes. International journal of occupational and environmental health, 18(3), 220–246. https://doi.org/10.1179/1077352512Z.00000000034
Lindseth, G. N., Coolahan, S. E., Petros, T. V., & Lindseth, P. D. (2014). Neurobehavioral effects of aspartame consumption. Research in nursing & health, 37(3), 185–193. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21595
Walton, R. G., Hudak, R., & Green-Waite, R. J. (1993). Adverse reactions to aspartame: double-blind challenge in patients from a vulnerable population. Biological psychiatry, 34(1-2), 13–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(93)90251-8
12 Common Food Additives. (2018). Healthline. Retreived from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-food-additives
Bhattacharyya, S., Feferman, L., & Tobacman, J. K. (2015). Carrageenan Inhibits Insulin Signaling through GRB10-mediated Decrease in Tyr(P)-IRS1 and through Inflammation-induced Increase in Ser(P)307-IRS1. The Journal of biological chemistry, 290(17), 10764–10774. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M114.630053
Sweis, I. E., & Cressey, B. C. (2018). Potential role of the common food additive manufactured citric acid in eliciting significant inflammatory reactions contributing to serious disease states: A series of four case reports. Toxicology reports, 5, 808–812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2018.08.002