If you consider yourself a health-conscious individual, you probably have a list of ingredients you prefer to stay away from, such as high-fructose corn syrup, saturated and trans fats, and food coloring. But despite being able to stay away from these common ingredients that are obviously bad for your health and waistline, you still need to pay close attention to the ingredient labels on all-natural and organic foods.
The healthiest diet for anyone is a diet comprised solely of whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, and legumes. However, it can be near-impossible to stick to such a diet without sometimes giving in to “fun” processed foods such as crackers, breads, sauces, and even desserts to supplement our meals. Therefore, if you decide to add any processed foods to your diet, it’s important to make sure you know which ingredients to avoid and stay away from to ensure lasting good health.
Here are six ingredients to avoid at all costs when you’re trying to stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle.
1. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
MSG is found in most packaged and canned foods, as well as in sauces and salad dressings. The preservative is a man-made chemical that helps otherwise “bland” food taste better. Unfortunately, there are over 40 variations of MSG that all have different names — many of which are often found in all-natural and organic processed foods. Even more disturbing is that MSG is not required to be included on all ingredient labels.
MSG goes by many names, including “natural flavors,” maltodextrin, yeast extract, citric acid, sodium caseinate, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and autolyzed vegetable protein. According to the Mayo Clinic, MSG can cause heart palpitations, headaches, chest pain, and numbness.
2. Potassium sorbate
Potassium sorbate is another preservative that helps extend shelf life in various foods such as baked goods, ice cream, cheese, and fruit drinks. The FDA says the effects of potassium sorbate have not been studied on people, but is found to be toxic to animals.
