Avoid These 9 Worst Food Ingredients!

Everyone knows to keep an eye out for calories, fat and carbs when they're browsing the supermarket aisles, but are you paying attention to the little known, flavor-enhancing, often lab-generated chemicals that manufacturers are pumping into your food to cut costs and keep you hooked? Just because it isn't making you fat doesn't mean it's not rotting you from the inside-out. If you look out for only nine ingredients the next time you go shopping for food, make them these.

PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL
This nemesis of heart health is the primary source of trans fat. Manufacturers like it because it reduces costs, increases shelf life and stabilizes flavor, but it's a lose-lose for consumers. Trans fats are twice as difficult for the body to dissolve as saturated fats, and because they boost bad (LDL) cholesterol and have been shown to decrease good (HDL) cholesterol, they're active agents of heart disease, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies and cellular deterioration. Note: Products that contain partially hydrogenated oils, but have less than 0.5g of trans fat per serving can carry a “trans-fat free” label. Also keep in mind that “fully hydrogenated oil” does not contain trans fats.
Bottom Line: Avoid foods containing trans fats, including margarine, vegetable shortening, crackers, cookies, baked goods, salad dressings, breads and chips.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
Though chemically similar to table sugar (sucrose), this cheaper alternative is a highly processed form of glucose converted into fructose—the type of sugar ordinarily found in fruit. The case against HFCS ranges from claims that it inhibits leptin—the hormone responsible for telling your brain that you're full—damages tissue and can contain toxic levels of mercury. The arguments against HFCS are inconclusive, but one thing is certain: too much sugar will harm bodily processes in countless ways, including increasing risk for diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders.

MSG
It goes by many... many names: monosodium glutamate, maltodextrin, sodium caseinate, autolyzed yeast, autolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, yeast extract and even citric acid. This leads to a sort of duck-and-cover effect, with more than 40 forms of this processed additive in grocery store aisles. MSG in all of its forms is considered a neurotoxin because it has been shown to damage nerve cells by overexciting them to the point of cell death. MSG is also a chemoinducer of obesity, type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Bottom Line: It’s often found in canned soup, diet beverages, an array of popular fast food, packaged sausages and frankfurters, beef stew, instant soups, salad dressing and some packaged vegetarian foods.

BHA (BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE) and BHT (BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE)
Antioxidants are normally good, right? Not in this case. BHA and BHT are antioxidant preservatives used in cereals, potato chips and chewing gum to keep them from going rancid. The Department of Health and Human Services pegged them as known carcinogens, but, mysteriously, the FDA allows them. The additives negatively impact sleep and appetite, and have been associated with liver and kidney damage, hair loss, behavioral problems, cancer, fetal abnormalities and growth retardation.

SODIUM NITRATE AND SODIUM NITRITE
These additives are used as colorants and to preserve the shelf life of meats like hot dogs, bacon and sausage. That all sounds OK until you note that they mix with stomach acids to form nitrosamines, potent cancer-causing cells associated with oral, stomach, brain, esophageal and bladder cancers. Noticeable side effects include dizziness, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Want quick deli meats without the drawbacks? Stick to choices like Natural Choice Hormel, which is additive-free.