Harmful Ingredients to Avoid

1. Acesulfame potassium: Used with other artificial sweeteners in diet sodas and ice cream. Linked to lung and breast tumors in rats.

2. Agave nectar: Sweetener derived from a cactus. Contains high levels of fructose, which causes insulin resistance, liver disease and inflammation of body tissues.

3. Aluminum: A preservative in some packaged foods that can cause cancer.

4. Annatto: Food coloring that can cause hyperactivity in children and asthma.

5. Aspartame: An excitotoxin and thought to be a carcinogen. Can cause dizziness, headaches, blurred vision and stomach problems.

6. Azodicarbonamide: Used in bagels and buns. Can cause asthma.

7. BHA/BHT: A fat preservative, used in foods to extend shelf life. Linked to cancerous tumor growth.

8. Bixin: Food coloring that can cause hyperactivity in children and asthma.

9. Bleached starch: Can be used in many dairy products. Thought to be related to asthma and skin irritations.

10. Blue #1: Used in bakery products, candy and soft drinks. Can damage chromosomes and lead to cancer.

11. Blue #2: Used in candy and pet food beverages. Can cause brain tumors

12. Brominated vegetable oil: Keeps flavor oils in soft drinks suspended. Bromate is a poison and can cause organ damage and birth defects. Not required to be listed on food labels.

13. Brown HT: Used in many packaged foods. Can cause hyperactivity in children, asthma and cancer.

14. Butane: Put in chicken nuggets to keep them tasting fresh. A known carcinogen.

15. Camauba wax: Used in chewing gums and to glaze certain foods. Can cause cancer and tumors.

16. Caramel coloring: In soft drinks, sauces, pastries and breads. When made with ammonia, it can cause cancer in mice. Food companies not required to disclose if this ingredient is made with ammonia.

17. Carrageenan: Stabilizer and thickening agent used in many prepared foods. Can cause ulcers and cancer.

18. Chlorine dioxide: Used in bleaching flour. Can cause tumors and hyperactivity in children.

19. Citrus red #1: Sprayed on oranges to make them look ripe. Can damage chromosomes and lead to cancer.

20. Citrus red #2: Used to color oranges. Can cause cancer if you eat the peel.

21. Disodium guanylate: Also used in snack foods, and contains MSG.

22. Disodium inosinate: In snack foods. Contains MSG.

23. Enriched flour: Used in many snack foods. A refined starch that is made from toxic ingredients.

24. Green #3: Used in candy and beverages. May cause bladder tumors.

25. High fructose corn syrup: Sweetener made from corn starch. Made from genetically-modified corn. Causes obesity, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis and insulin resistance.

26. Magnesium sulphate: Used in tofu, and can cause cancer in laboratory animals.

27. Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Flavor enhancer that can cause headaches. Linked in animal studies to nerve damage, heart problems and seizures.

28. Norbixin: Food coloring that can cause hyperactivity in children and asthma.

29. Olestra: Fat-like substance that is unabsorbed by the body. Used in place of natural fats in some snack foods. Can cause digestive problems, and also not healthy for the heart.

30. Orange B: A food dye that is used in hot dog and sausage casings. High doses are bad for the liver and bile duct.

31. Paraben: Used to stop mold and yeast forming in foods. Can disrupt hormones in the body, and could be linked to breast cancer.

32. Polysorbate 60: A thickener that is used in baked goods. Can cause cancer in laboratory animals.

33. Potassium bromate: Added to breads to increase volume. Linked to cancer in humans.

34. Propyl gallate: Added to fat-containing products. Linked to cancer in humans

35. Propyl gallate: Found in meats, popcorn, soup mixes and frozen dinners. Shown to cause cancer in rats. Banned in some countries. Deemed safe by FDA.

36. Propylene glycol: Better known as antifreeze. Thickens dairy products and salad dressing. Deemed ‘generally’ safe by FDA.

37. Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH): Geneticially-engineered version of natural growth hormone in cows. Boosts milk production in cows. Contains high levels of IGF-1, which is thought cause various types of cancer.

38. Red #2: A food coloring that may cause both asthma and cancer.

39. Red #3: A carcinogen. that is added to cherry pie filling, ice cream and baked goods. May cause nerve damage and thyroid cancer.

40. Red #40: Found in many foods to alter color. All modern food dyes are derived from petroleum. A carcinogen that is linked to cancer in some studies. Also can cause hyperactivity in children. Banned in some European countries. (Worst Offender)

41. Refined vegetable oil: Includes soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, and peanut oil. High in omega-6 fats, which are thought to cause heart disease and cancer.

42. Saccharin: Carcinogen found to cause bladder cancer in rats. (Worst Offender)

43. Sodium benzoate: Used as a preservative in salad dressing and carbonated beverages. A known carcinogen and may cause damage our DNA.

44. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose: Used as a thickener in salad dressings. Could cause cancer in high quantities.

45. Sodium nitrate: Added to processed meats to stop bacterial growth. Linked to cancer in humans. (Worst Offender)

46. Sucralose: Splenda. Can cause swelling of liver and kidneys and a shrinkage of the thymus gland.

47. Sulfites: Used to keep prepared foods fresh. Can cause breathing difficulties in those sensitive to the ingredient.

48. Tert butylhydroquinone: Used to preserve fish products. Could cause stomach tumors at high doses.

49. Yellow #5: Used in desserts, candy and baked goods. Thought to cause kidney tumors, according to some studies.

50. Yellow #6: A carcinogen used in sausage, beverages and baked goods. Thought to cause kidney tumors, according to some studies.

Do your best to:

• Avoid fast foods.

• Avoid soda and sugary drinks & juice.

• Eat more fruits, vegetables and grains (organic or locally grown).

• Eat hormone free meat.

• Stop drinking cow’s milk. Transistion to hormone-free goat milk.

• Know what you’re eating!