How shocked would be you be to learn that the Nigerian population is being slowly poisoned by a single ingredient deliberately added to the human food supply? At first, it sounds like nonsense. But then you realize, after learning more, World Health Organization tried to outlaw this ingredient decades ago. You find out that hundreds of doctors, researchers and scientists are blatantly warning us about the detrimental health effects of this ingredient. And you learn that this substance causes cancer, birth defects, heart disease, diabetes and many other fatal diseases. In facts, this substance causes a cell-by-cell failure of the human body by destroying the porosity and flexibility of healthy cell membranes. It’s like tearing your body down from the inside out.
What ingredient am I talking about, Poisonous food additives, of course. For decades, food companies (and even our own government regulators) have lied to use about the seriousness of food administrative and control inside this nation, Nigeria; telling us this disease-causing substance was not merely safe, but actually better for your health than other sources of consummates like edibles. But today, we know this was nothing more than a global deception, a hijacking of science by the food manufacturers in a blatant attempt to get people to buy their high-profit products like process food items.
For instance, in this nation, more than 3,000 substances are being added to foods for the purpose of preservation, coloring, texture, increasing flavor and more. While each of these substances is legal to use (at least here in Nigeria), whether or not they are all something you want to be consuming is another story all together. With any processed food you run the risk of coming across additives, and reading through ingredient labels can be like trying to decode a puzzle.
Although Organic and “natural” foods can cost twice as much as those we were all perfectly content to eat just a few years ago. And marketers of these trendy foods know exactly what they’re doing. Today, not really, it was, in fact, the biggest recall, but not by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, which has no power to recall tainted food. The agency has to prod and push subordinate agency to do that. It also won’t tell consumers in this nation that they might have bought some of the N143 million worth of suspect POISON-content food items inside this nation.
Of course, eating largely fresh, whole foods is the best way to stay away from unsavory additives, but, assuming you do include some processed foods in your diet, the following additives are ones you surely want to stay away from. Look for them on ingredient labels and if one turns up, take a pass.
Have you ever wondered why the consumption of processed meats is so strongly linked to cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and pancreas? The evidence continues to mount, as demonstrated by a recent study showing a 67% increase in pancreatic cancer…Propyl Gallate is preservative, used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling, might cause cancer. It’s used in vegetable oil, meat products, potato sticks, chicken soup base and chewing gum, and is often used with BHA and BHT
BHA and BHT;Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are used similarly to propyl gallate — to keep fats and oils from going rancid. Used commonly in cereals, chewing gum, vegetable oil and potato chips (and also in some food packaging to preserve freshness), these additives have been found by some studies to cause cancer in rats. If a brand you commonly buy uses these additives, look for a different variety, as not all manufacturers use these preservatives.Some food additives are neurotoxic, which means they’re capable of altering the normal activity of the nervous system — and even killing neurons. Symptoms include: * Limb weakness or numbnes * Loss of memory, vision, and intellect * Headache * Cognitive and behavioral problems * Sexual dysfunction
Potassium Bromate;is additive is used in breads and rolls to increase the volume and produce a fine crumb structure. Although most bromate breaks down into bromide, which is harmless, the bromate that does remain causes cancer in animals. Bromate has been banned throughout the world, except for in the United States and Japan. In California, a cancer warning would likely be required if it were used, which is why it is rarely used in that state.
Monosodium glutamate MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in many packaged foods, including soups, salad dressings, sausages, hot dogs, canned tuna, potato chips and many more. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, an author and neurosurgeon, there is a link between sudden cardiac death, particularly in athletes, and excitotoxic damage caused by food additives like MSG and artificial sweeteners. Excitotoxins are, according to Dr. Blaylock, “A group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die.”
Many consumers have also personally experienced the ill effects of MSG, which leave them with a headache, nausea or vomiting after eating MSG-containing foods. To find out more about the side effects associated with MSG, as well as a complete list of which foods contain it, see our past article MSG: If it’s Safe: Why do They Disguise it on the Labels? Aspartame ;This artificial sweetener is found in Equal and NutraSweet, along with products that contain them (diet sodas and other low-cal and diet foods). This sweetener has been found to cause brain tumors in rats as far back as the 1970s; however a more recent study in 2005 found that even small doses increase the incidence of lymphomas and leukemia in rats, along with brain tumors.
People who are sensitive to aspartame may also suffer from headaches, dizziness and hallucinations after consuming it. Acesulfame-K is an artificial sweetener that’s about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It’s used in baked goods, chewing gum, gelatin desserts and soft drinks. Two rat studies have found that this substance may cause cancer, and other studies to reliably prove this additive’s safety have not been conducted. Acesulfame-K also breaks down into acetoacetamide, which has been found to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits and dogs.
Olestra is a fat substitute used in crackers and potato chips, marketed under the brand name Olean. This synthetic fat is not absorbed by the body (instead it goes right through it), so it can cause diarrhea, loose stools, abdominal cramps and flatulence, along with other effects. Further, olestra reduces the body’s ability to absorb beneficial fat-soluble nutrients, including lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene. Sodium Nitrite (Sodium Nitrate); Like diet soda? The aspartame that’s used to sweeten it increases lymphomas, leukemia and brain tumors in rats — even in small doses. Sodium nitrite (or sodium nitrate) is used as a preservative, coloring and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. These additives can lead to the formation of cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines.
Some studies have found a link between consuming cured meats and nitrite and cancer in humans. The process used to make hydrogenated vegetable oil (or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) creates Trans fats, which promote heart disease and diabetes. The Institute of Medicine has advised that consumers should eat as little Tran’s fat as possible. You should avoid anything with these ingredients on the label, which includes some margarine, vegetable shortening, crackers, cookies, baked goods, salad dressings, bread and more. It’s used because it reduces cost and increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods.
Blue 1, used to color candy, beverages and baked goods, may cause cancer. Blue 2, found in pet food, candy and beverages, have caused brain tumors in mice. Red 3; this food colouring is used in cherries (in fruit cocktails), baked goods and candy. It causes thyroid tumors in rats, and may cause them in humans as well. Yellow 6; as the third most often used food coloring, yellow 6 is found in many products, including backed goods, candy, gelatin and sausages. It has been found to cause adrenal gland and kidney tumors, and contains small amounts of many carcinogens.
Again medicine which is deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled with respect to identity and/or source could be referred to as counterfeit drugs. It could apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit products may include products with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients, without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredients or with fake packaging.
Substandard drugs are genuine drug products which do not meet quality specifications set for them. The term substandard is used to describe the quality status of genuine drugs produced by legitimate manufacturers. Normally, manufacturers use specifications laid down by official Pharmacopoeias, such as British Pharmacopoeia (BP), United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), and European Pharmacopoeia (EP) for each drug that they produce. If a drug fails to meet the pharmacopoeia specifications used for its formulation, the drug is classified as substandard.
The Nigerian definition combines the provisions of two decrees: The Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Decree No. 25 of 1999 and Drugs and Related Products (Registration, etc) Decree No. 19 of 1993.
