Home
>
23 Food Additives to Avoid on Keto
23 Food Additives to Avoid on Keto
1.
Sodium Nitrate
Commonly Used As:
-
Preservative and color fixative in cured meats and poultry.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to increased deaths from Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, stomach cancer, and Parkinson's disease.
Source:
2.
Sodium Nitrite
Commonly Used As:
-
Pink shade coloring for processed meats.
Health Hazards:
-
Classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans" by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Source:
3.
Sulfites
Commonly Used As:
-
Preservative in dried potato, preserved radish, and dried fruits.
-
Also known as Sulfur Dioxide, Potassium Metabisulfite, Potassium Bisulfate, Potassium Sulfite, Sodium Bisulfate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite
Health Hazards:
-
Common allergen for asthmatics.
-
Could be fatal for people allergic to sulfites.
Source:
4.
Azodicarbonamide
Commonly Used As:
-
Flour bleaching agent and dough conditioner.
Health Hazards:
-
Identified as a possible asthma agent.
-
Banned in the European Union as a food additive.
Source:
5.
Potassium Bromate
Commonly Used As:
-
Flour improver in baked goods.
Health Hazards:
-
Classified as category 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
-
Banned from use in food products in European Union, Brazil, Canada, and Argentina.
Source:
6.
BHA/BHT
Commonly Used As:
-
Antioxidant used to preserve fats and oils.
-
Commonly seen in lard, potato chips, preserved meat, baked goods, and many foods with added fats.
Health Hazards:
-
Classified as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen' by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Source:
7.
Propyl Gallate
Commonly Used As:
-
An antioxidant often used with BHT and BHAT to slow down the spoilage of fats.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to brain cancer in rat studies.
Source:
8.
Propylene Glycol
Commonly Used As:
-
Thickener in coffee-based drinks, ice cream, liquid sweeteners, soda, and whipped dairy products.
Health Hazards:
-
Identified as a contact allergen.
-
Was named as the 'Allergen of the Year' for 2018 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
Source:
9.
Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)
Commonly Used As:
-
Preservative for edible animal fats and unsaturated vegetable oils.
Health Hazards:
-
Prolonged exposure and high doses may be carcinogenic, especially for stomach tumors.
Source:
10.
Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)
Commonly Used As:
-
A synthetic hormone injected to cows to increase milk production.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to increase production of IGF-1 and development of colorectal, prostate, breast, and other cancers.
-
Banned in Canada and Europe
Source:
11.
Sodium Benzoate / Potassium Benzoate
Commonly Used As:
-
Preservative in carbonated drinks, salad dressings, fruit juices, condiments, and jams.
Health Hazards:
-
May form into benzene when combined with ascorbic acid. Benzene is classified as a carcinogen.
Source:
12.
Carrageenan
Commonly Used As:
-
Emulsifier in desserts, cream, milkshakes, yogurts, salad dressings, and other food products.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to gut inflammation, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn Disease.
Source:
13.
Enriched Flour
Commonly Used As:
-
Flour used in most procesed cakes, cookies, bread, cereal, and pasta.
Health Hazards:
-
Can spike blood sugar and insulin levels quickly since it has a high glycemic index.
Source:
14.
Modified Starch
Commonly Used As:
-
Emulsifier and stabilizer for baked goods, candies, yogurt, ice creams, and meats.
Health Hazards:
-
Provokes inflammatory response in the body; Linked to increased stroke risk.
Source:
15.
Blue #1
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in baked goods, candies, drugs, and other food products.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to kidney tumors in rat studies.
-
Potentially neurotoxic. Not recommended for pregnant women or babies under the age of 6 months.
Source:
16.
Blue #2
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in beverages, candies, drugs and other food products.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to brain tumors in rat studies.
-
Does not have a convincing evidence for safe human consumption.
Source:
17.
Citrus Red #2
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in fruits.
Health Hazards:
-
Classified as a bladder carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Source:
18.
Green #3
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in candies, beverages, dessert, ice cream and other food products.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to testes tumor in rat studies.
-
Further testing is required for its safe use.
Source:
19.
Orange B
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in frankfurter and sausage casings.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to chronic nephritis in rat studies.
Source:
20.
Red #3
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in maraschino cherries, sausage casings, oral drugs, baked goods, and candies.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to cancer in rat studies.
Source:
21.
Red #40
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in bakery goods, beverages, dessert powders, candies, cereals, foods, drugs.
-
Most used food coloring.
Health Hazards:
-
Linked to accelerated appearance of tumors in rat studies.
-
Linked to hyperactivity in children.
Source:
22.
Yellow #5
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in beverages, bakery goods, gelatin desserts, and other food products.
Health Hazards:
-
Might cause mild to severe hypersensitivity reactions.
Source:
23.
Yellow #6
Commonly Used As:
-
Food coloring used in beverages, bakery goods, gelatin desserts, and other food products.
Health Hazards:
-
Might cause mild to severe hypersensitivity reactions especially on children.
Source: