BHA and BHT

Dangerous Ingredients

Commonly found in: Potato chips, butter, beer, chewing gum

The expert says: BHA and BHT are "preservatives in products like soups, cereals, oils and crackers that may cause allergic reactions and neuro-toxic effects, including hyperactivity," says Deanna Minich, a clinical nutritionist and author of An A to Z Guide to Food Additives.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)

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(Photo Credit: iStock Photo)
Aspartame & Arti... Commonly found in: soft drinks, cereals, diet ice cream, diet maple syrups

The expert says: "I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole," says Rick North, project director for the Campaign for Safe Food.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
BHA and BHT Commonly found in: Potato chips, butter, beer, chewing gum

The expert says: BHA and BHT are "preservatives in products like soups, cereals, oils and crackers that may cause allergic reactions and neuro-toxic effects, including hyperactivity," says Deanna Minich, a clinical nutritionist and author of An A to Z Guide to Food Additives.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
Food Coloring Commonly found in: candy, beverages, sausage, gelatin

The expert says: "Food dyes and coloring are something that parents should just get out of their kids' systems…They are usually markers for a really inferior product," says David Steinman, author of Diet for a Poisoned Planet and host of the Green Patriot Radio show.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
Gluten Commonly found in: pretzels, bread, soy sauce, licorice

The expert says: "Due to improved testing methods and greater awareness, people are finding they can be ‘gluten intolerant' without having celiac disease. Various reasons for this rise may include changing strains of wheat through genetic modification, impaired immunity, or simply the sheer number of products that contain it and the frequency with which they are eaten—or a combination of any of these factors," says Minich.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
Growth agents, l... Commonly found in: milk and pork

The expert says: "People with heart conditions should not be anywhere near [Ractopamine]. This is the stuff they're shooting into pigs to make them grow faster right at the end of their life before they're slaughtered so that when they're slaughtered it hasn't even had any time at all to work through the pig's system and excrete it, so it's just a disaster," North says. "160 countries have banned the use of this but not the U.S."

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
High-Fructose Co... Commonly found in: yogurt, bread, cereal, condiments, cookies

The expert says: "We're just getting too much sugar in our foods. For years, manufacturers have been taking fat out of foods and putting sugar in," says Minich.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
Nitrates and Nit... Commonly found in: hotdogs, lunchmeat, bacon, pepperoni

The expert says: "Nitrites are added to hot dogs and cured meats in order to preserve that red color so they don't turn grey, but when you consume [them] they form nitrosamines, which cause cancer...Studies have shown that kids exposed to nitrites have higher rates of brain cancer and leukemia and adults have higher rates of brain cancer," says Steinman.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
Potassium Bromat... Commonly found in: bread and rolls

The expert says: Used to increase the "fluffiness" of bread products, Potassium Bromate is a known carcinogen that's banned in other countries, and requires a warning label in products sold in California. "The FDA should ban bromate immediately," said Dr. Michael F. Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in 1999.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
Sulfites Commonly found in: dried fruits, wine, lemon juice, molasses

The expert says: Sulfites are "preservatives found in fruits (especially grapes and wines, dried fruits) that may cause allergic reactions like respiratory difficulty, headache, nausea, and digestive complaints," says Minich.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
White flour Commonly found in: pasta, bread, crackers, cake

The expert says: "White flour has typically been refined and chemically bleached with peroxides or chlorine to the point where it needs to be enriched or have synthetic nutrients added back to it. The problem is that it doesn't get close to resembling its natural state—full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Foods containing predominantly white flour may raise blood sugar and make your body work harder to metabolize it due to its high-glycemic index," says Minich.

(Photo via the Daily Beast)
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