Many of us do not understand or read food labels. We have problems in our health due to harmful foods with additives, and we fail in most of our diets. So, what should we pay attention to when reading food labels, which additives should we avoid?

Remember, the first rule of thumb for healthy eating: be sure to read the labels! Take one of the products you bought and read the contents, write down every item you don’t hear or pronounce, and then google it.

1-HYDROGENIZED OIL (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL)

Hydrogenated oil has the same buttery consistency but is much cheaper. These oils can slow your metabolism and promote the development of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

2-ARTIFICIAL COLORS AND SWEETENERS

If the food or drink you eat is not real, where does this color come from? Some artificial vanilla flavoring is made from petroleum or paper mill waste, while other artificial flavors are usually made from hundreds of different chemicals. Artificial colors have been around for over a hundred years, and contain a chemically proven carcinogenic additives.

3-POTASSIUM BROMATE

Potassium bromate is what makes your white flour, breads and rolls nice and fluffy. It has been found to promote cancer in animals and can also be risky to humans even in small amounts. Therefore, be aware that products containing potassium bromate can be carcinogenic.

4-ASTAXANTHİN

The vast majority of salmon come from farms that are sold in supermarkets today. It eats crustaceans that contain natural astaxanthin, which causes pink meat in wild salmon. Since farm-raised salmon do not eat these crustaceans, unnatural astaxanthin is added to their diet. This added astaxanthin comes from coal tar. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat salmon, but it’s better to buy wild salmon rather than farm-grown salmon.

5-BENZOIC ACID / SODIUM BENZOATE

It is a common preservative in milk, other beverages, low sugar, cereals and meat products. These preservatives temporarily disrupt the proper functioning of digestive enzymes and can cause headaches, stomach upset, asthma attacks, and hyperactivity in children.

6-BHA (BUTYLATED HYDROXY ANISOL) AND BHT (BUTYLENE HYDROXYTOLUENE)

These are similar antioxidants and petroleum-derived chemicals and are added to foods containing oil to prevent them from spoiling. These chemicals are often found in crackers, cereals, sausages, dry meats, and other foods. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer considers BHA as a possible human carcinogen.

7-CANTAXANTINE

Not all egg yolks are created equal, so agronomy developed a pigment to make them that bright golden color we know and love. Although the amounts added are very small, tests have shown that larger amounts of cantaxanthin can cause retinal damage.

8-EMULGATORS

Emulsifiers extend the shelf life of bread products and allow liquids such as oil and water to combine. Emulsifiers such as salad dressings, mayonnaise and ice cream are used in many low-fat or low-calorie products. Emulsifying agents used in foods include agar, albumin, alginates, casein, egg yolk, glycerol monostearate, xanthan gums, lecithin, and soaps. Firstly, if you’re not sure exactly what the problem is – it’s harmful for people with an egg or casein allergy, and second, who wants algae or soap in their food?

9-HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

You should already know that this is bad for you, thanks to the media. The amount of “hidden” fructose in processed foods is truly terrible. Mass consumption can cause obesity, heart disease, increase in cholesterol and accelerate aging.

10-MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE – CHINESE SALT (MSG)

MSG is added to numerous processed foods as a flavor enhancer. Studies have found that MSG causes tightness in the chest, headache, and a burning sensation in the neck and forearms.