Ingredients in Food To Watch Out For

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Knowing what you put into your body is extremely important. You don’t want to assume something is good or bad for you when it really isn’t. For example, many people just assume that artificial flavorings are worse for you than natural flavorings—which truthfully isn’t the case. Instead, educate yourself on some basic food information. To assist you in that research, we have provided some basic ingredients in food to watch out for. Don’t just listen to food stereotypes; educate yourself!

Hydrogenated Oil (Trans Fat)

This ingredient is also known as vegetable oil. As it goes through the development process, this oil is made in such a way that allows it to have a longer life span. This gives it a longer shelf life, but it also brings many nutritional disadvantages. Ingesting hydrogenated oil or trans fat increases not only cholesterol levels but also your overall risk of heart disease and diabetes. This ingredient is common in fried foods and bakery items. It’s safe to say you want as little of this ingredient in your diet as possible.

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is a food additive that thickens food. It’s very common in low-fat dairy products and dairy alternatives. If you need these dairy alternatives in your life, make sure you educate yourself on what carrageenan could do to your body. Research shows this additive could be related to gastrointestinal diseases and inflammation, which can ultimately cause other harmful diseases.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Just when you think you’re bettering your life by looking at the ingredients in your food, you find out there are even harmful ingredients in the items you don’t necessarily ingest. An example of this is bisphenol, which isn’t known as a food ingredient but is often in items such as plastic bottles and containers, cash register receipts, aluminum cans, and more. The reason this is harmful is because it’s related to diseases such as cancer, child growth abnormalities, and infertility. Do your part and look for BPA-free items, and avoid microwaving your plastic items.

Altogether, people consume or use these three ingredients throughout their everyday lives. If you don’t educate yourself on what you’re putting into your body, you’ll never know the harmful effects some ingredients can have. Being passive aggressive is not the way to go about food consumption. Instead, educate yourself. Start today by considering eliminating these ingredients in food to watch out for.