Supermarket or "Little Shop of Horrors"

Sarah Kavanagh

Last month 15-year-old Sarah Kavanagh from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, gathered more than 200,000 signatures in an on-line petition pressuring Gatorade to remove a controversial flame-retardant chemical from their popular drink.  As a result of all the social media attention Gatorade announced that they would comply within the next couple of months.

Had Sarah not drawn attention to the use of this (BVO) or brominated vegetable oil, who knows how long Gatorade would have continued the use of this harmful chemical hidden in their colorful “healthy sport drinks!”

I have to think forever…

Chemicals that are used as weed killers, flame-retardants, and sunscreens are startlingly common in your supermarkets!

These chemicals won’t be listed on the back panel as “carcinogens,” “paint chemicals,” or “beaver anal-gland juice.”  They will be hidden under names like “Butylated HydroxyAnisole” or believe it or not, “natural flavoring.”

Here are just a few to look out for next time you’re shopping.

Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame-K)

What it is:  An artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar often used to mask a bitter aftertaste.

Found in:  More than 5,000 food products, including diet sodas and no-sugar-added ice cream.

What You Need to Know:  Animal studies have linked the chemical to lung and breast tumors and thyroid problems.

Aspartame

What it is:  An artificial sweetener made by combining two amino acids with methynol.

Found in:  More than 6,000 grocery items to include diet sodas, yogurts, and the sweeteners NutraSweet and Equal.

What You Need to Know:  The FDA has received thousands of consumer complaints due mostly to neurological symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, memory loss and epileptic seizures.

Titanium Dioxide

What it is:  A component of the metallic element titanium commonly used in paints and sunscreens.

Found In:  Processed salad dressing, coffee creamers and icing to make them appear whiter.

What You Need to Know:  Titanium is a mined substance that’s often contaminated with toxic lead.

Glyphosphate

What it is:  The active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup commonly used on corn and soy crops genetically engineered to withstand a heavy dousing of the chemical.

Found in:  Most non-organic packaged foods containing corn and soy derived ingredients.  It’s a systemic herbicide, taken up by the plant which means you eat it.

What You Need to Know:  Exposure to this chemical has been linked to obesity, learning disabilities, and infertility.

Butylated HydroxyAnisole (BHA)

What it is:  A petroleum derived antioxidant used to preserve fats and oils.

Found in:  Beer, crackers, cereals, butter, and foods with added fats.

What You Need to Know:  Studies have shown BHA to cause cancer in the forestomachs of rats, mice, and hamsters.

Castoreum

What it is:  Beaver anal gland juice.  Really.  Beavers combine it with their urine to mark their territory.

Found in:  Vanilla or raspberry flavoring in processed foods, labeled as “natural flavoring.”

What You Need to Know:  It’s beaver anal gland juice.

These are only a small sample of the toxic chemicals hidden in processed foods.  As more and more of these toxins accumulate in our system, they place severe stress on our organs.  We have to improve our health in order to lose weight efficiently and long term success is difficult if you don’t address this hidden culprit behind the excess fat we carry.

For more health information, please visit us at Southwest Age Intervention Institute.