I know  many people who consume artificial sweeteners from their lo-cal candy, diet soft drinks, and sugar free gum without giving it a second thought. They may not be getting the calories but they may be getting more than  expected. It may not seem like much but because you absorb less of the nutrients from your food as you age, getting the right amount of nutrients is important and you’re not going to get them from artificial sweeteners. Read the rest of this entry

I will probably understand a lot more about food additives when I finish reading David Kessler’s book, The End of Overeating.  In the meantime I can think of a major additive that needs discussion.

Whenever we go out to dinner with a couple we’ve known for years, the wife always asks that no MSG be added. Years ago I thought that was a question you only asked when you were eating Chinese but I was quickly informed that cooks use this additive anywhere.

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is an amino acid used as a flavor enhance in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. It is commonly associated with Asian foods and flavorings. Using MSG allows cooks or companies in processed foods, to reduce the amount of real ingredients in their foods such as the chicken in chicken soup. MSG reduces costs.

Since 1960 the use of MSG has cau8sed some concern when it was discovered that large amounts of MSG fed to infant mice destroyed nerve cells in the brain. This research forced baby food companies to stop adding MSG to their products. Even so, MSG may be hidden in infant formula, low fat milk, candy, drinks, over the counter medications, as a finder, as filler for nutritional supplements, and in prescription drugs.

Children are more sensitive to MSG than adults. Neonatal exposure to MSG can cause a permanent reduction in the secretion of growth hormone. Other reactions, by both children and adults, include headaches, nausea, weakness, wheezing, changes in heart rate, and difficulty breathing.

The following ingredients on a label also indicated MSG:

• Monosodium Glutamate

• Hydrolyzed  protein, soy or any type;

• Autolyzed yeast

• Monosodium glutamate

• Free glutamate

• Yeast extract

• Caseinate.

I don’t know if you can completely eliminate MSG from your diet but you certainly can take a good stab at  it, mentioning it at restaurants, and certainly not cooking with the ingredient. I didn’t realize this topic of food additives was so big. I want to mention one more additive, artificial sweeteners, but that topic is huge by itself.

The wonderful thing about all this information is that it is never too late to think about doing it for yourself, for your kids and your grandchildren.

To your healthy aging success.

Ruthan

I have seen these labels before, when I purchased the product and sometimes when I first opened the jar or the can or the lotion. This time when I look at them I am seeing the ingredients with new thinking.

I understand that many people have been on the do not tolerate food additives for years and actively advocate their belief that this stuff is killing us. I am not there!. Right now I am in the exploring stage and my thesis about food additives is evolving.  The first part of this thesis is that my options for products would be very small if I eliminated all the food additives that are suggested to delete.  Secondly, I suspect it’s another one of that risk versus reward decisions. For example, is the risk of ingesting the food additive worse than the can of tomato sauce going rancid?

At this point I don’t know and I suspect my answer would be: it depends.  It depends on whether:

• I’m the population that would be at greatest risk?

• How frequently I use that brand of tomato sauce?

• Maybe it won’t get rancid for 2 weeks so I should purchase a can with no additives?

• If I were raising young children again would I think differently?

My thinking about food additives is moving where so much of my deliberating travels: the answer isn’t black or white. There may not be, there probably isn’t a yes or no. It all depends.

I am sure you have thought about food additives more than once. What is your take on the topic? It certainly fits in with the go green movement and seasonal fruits and vegetables and organically fed meats and poultry. How far do you go with food additives?   Type your comments and let’s share some of our thinking.

To your successful healthy aging,

Ruthan