There are a number of reasons for food manufacturers to add artificial and natural additives in food. For example, to lengthen shelf life, to make the food more appealing by enhancing color, texture and taste, to facilitate food preparation, or otherwise make food more marketable. An increasing number of additives are made synthetically, and some are from natural sources.Avoid Eating Processed Food
You may think many additives are used only in small amounts, and will do no harm, but it has been estimated that an average American consumes about 5 pounds of additives every year. When plain sugar is added, which is the most common used additive, the number rises to 135 pounds per year. This means that anyone whose diet includes a lot of processed food will consume a significant amount of additives and artificial ingredients. The numbers are rising.
Sweet Killers
Additives and artificial ingredients add very little or no nutritional value to the food product. Instead they pose a threat to your health. Some earlier approved additives have later been pulled off the market, or their use is allowed only if accompanied with warnings. Saccharin and Syclamate, which have been used as artificial sweeteners, are good examples. Some additives are used without warnings like Monosodium Glutamate and Aspartame, yet they have been known to cause health problems. Some reported disorders are head ache, diarrhea, confusion, memory loss, and seizures.
Not Your Normal Protein Cocktail
There are three main components in Aspartame; the amino acids Phenylalanine and Aspartic Acid, Methanol which is also known as Methyl Alcohol or as Wood Alcohol. It has been claimed that the amino acids in Aspartame are metabolized the same way as the natural amino acids in the food, but research suggests otherwise. Aspartame appears to cause a fast rise of these amino acids in the bloodstream. This will not happen when consuming natural dietary proteins.