Food Toxics and Health Hazards
Stephen Lau asked:
Copyright (c) 2008 Stephen Lau
Food toxicology is a health issue. You should worry about toxic chemicals in your food simply because certain chemical contaminants have been implicated in major health hazards, ranging from cancer to birth defects to asthma.
Understandably, high doses of toxic chemicals can be lethal. But how safe are low doses of these toxic chemicals? If high does are dangerously deadly, why should you be exposed to even the low doses?
Nearly all the food you consume may contain a trace of heavy metals, pesticides, and toxic chemicals. Some of these contaminants are not added to your food: they are naturally occurring contaminant substances due to the environment. However, most of them are added by food manufacturers to make your food more lasting, more appealing, and more palatable.
Most food manufacturers give their products a face-lift or makeover to make them look fresher or of higher quality. For example, cold cuts, hot dogs, and beef jerky are all dyed red to make them look fresh and tantalizing. Even children’s candies, popcorns, and cereals are heavily dyed to make them more fun and enticing to young children.
Studies in rats and animals have shown that certain food dyes are toxic and carcinogenic. Certain food colors were banned, and certain food dyes have been approved by the FDA due to insufficient evidence to prove a cancer risk.
Although artificial food colors may not pose a major health risk, other than susceptibility to allergies, there is no regulatory limit on how much a food manufacturer can use in a food product, that is to say, self-regulatory, which in some cases mean “no regulation.”
It is sometimes difficult to avoid food colorings totally, given that so many food items in the supermarket are colored to some degree. However, if you are concerned with your health, maybe you should pay more attention to food labels, and select products that use the natural color agents derived from beets, carrots, and spices, instead of those chemical food dyes.
In addition to food dyes, food toxics can also derive from dietary hormones, which are growth-enhancing hormones found in most meats. Residues of these hormones may affect how children mature sexually.
There has been much controversy over growth-enhancing dietary hormones in animals. Canada and some European countries believe that hormones and their metabolites in beef can be toxic and mutagenic; however, the United States insists that the hormones in beef are safe. There you go!
As a wary consumer, simply eat less beef, or buy only “certified organic” beef. Chicken and pigs are not fed growth-enhancing hormones. Another alternative is to get protein from beans and grains.
Of course, farmers apply millions of pounds of pesticides to the crops you eat. However, the risk from pesticides is relatively low to make food toxicity a major health concern. The best way to avoid pesticide toxicity is to buy organic produce. In addition, peel vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, although their skins are most nutritious; this is a decision you have to make regarding the trade-off. It should be noted that washing the produce will not do much to get rid of the pesticides, which are already in the peels and the vegetables.
But do these food toxics, even in small does, compromise your food safety? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to be responsible for food safety. Given that it is a complex and difficult job, does the FDA rise to the occasion? A consumer may be at a loss as to what to eat or not to eat. The bottom line: Always eat natural and go organic.
Buy Fioricet
Copyright (c) 2008 Stephen Lau
Food toxicology is a health issue. You should worry about toxic chemicals in your food simply because certain chemical contaminants have been implicated in major health hazards, ranging from cancer to birth defects to asthma.
Understandably, high doses of toxic chemicals can be lethal. But how safe are low doses of these toxic chemicals? If high does are dangerously deadly, why should you be exposed to even the low doses?
Nearly all the food you consume may contain a trace of heavy metals, pesticides, and toxic chemicals. Some of these contaminants are not added to your food: they are naturally occurring contaminant substances due to the environment. However, most of them are added by food manufacturers to make your food more lasting, more appealing, and more palatable.
Most food manufacturers give their products a face-lift or makeover to make them look fresher or of higher quality. For example, cold cuts, hot dogs, and beef jerky are all dyed red to make them look fresh and tantalizing. Even children’s candies, popcorns, and cereals are heavily dyed to make them more fun and enticing to young children.
Studies in rats and animals have shown that certain food dyes are toxic and carcinogenic. Certain food colors were banned, and certain food dyes have been approved by the FDA due to insufficient evidence to prove a cancer risk.
Although artificial food colors may not pose a major health risk, other than susceptibility to allergies, there is no regulatory limit on how much a food manufacturer can use in a food product, that is to say, self-regulatory, which in some cases mean “no regulation.”
It is sometimes difficult to avoid food colorings totally, given that so many food items in the supermarket are colored to some degree. However, if you are concerned with your health, maybe you should pay more attention to food labels, and select products that use the natural color agents derived from beets, carrots, and spices, instead of those chemical food dyes.
In addition to food dyes, food toxics can also derive from dietary hormones, which are growth-enhancing hormones found in most meats. Residues of these hormones may affect how children mature sexually.
There has been much controversy over growth-enhancing dietary hormones in animals. Canada and some European countries believe that hormones and their metabolites in beef can be toxic and mutagenic; however, the United States insists that the hormones in beef are safe. There you go!
As a wary consumer, simply eat less beef, or buy only “certified organic” beef. Chicken and pigs are not fed growth-enhancing hormones. Another alternative is to get protein from beans and grains.
Of course, farmers apply millions of pounds of pesticides to the crops you eat. However, the risk from pesticides is relatively low to make food toxicity a major health concern. The best way to avoid pesticide toxicity is to buy organic produce. In addition, peel vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, although their skins are most nutritious; this is a decision you have to make regarding the trade-off. It should be noted that washing the produce will not do much to get rid of the pesticides, which are already in the peels and the vegetables.
But do these food toxics, even in small does, compromise your food safety? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to be responsible for food safety. Given that it is a complex and difficult job, does the FDA rise to the occasion? A consumer may be at a loss as to what to eat or not to eat. The bottom line: Always eat natural and go organic.
Buy Fioricet
Tags: Chemical Contaminants, Toxic Chemicals
Eat Peppers for Good Health!
Scott Meyers asked:
Eating peppers is a great way to stay healthy. Besides tasting great, peppers contribute to fighting disease, improving your respiratory health, and stimulating the digestive tract. Although some object to the tingling sensations of hot peppers, many swear by their advantages.
All peppers come from the genus “Capsicum,” but the variety among peppers is tremendous. There are peppers that are mildly flavored, sweet peppers, and dangerously hot firecrackers.
No matter whether you enjoy the taste of the mild Anaheim or bell pepper, the medium Cascabel or the fiery Jalapeno or Tabasco, you should enjoy peppers on a regular basis. Peppers are not only delicious, they are also virtually fat free.
Peppers come in a wide variety of colors: light, medium and dark green; gold; orange; bright red and all the way up to dark red; yellow peppers from pale to bright; browns from medium to extremely dark and some peppers are even purple in color.
Peppers are comparable to garlic and onions in their health benefits. Peppers are helpful for respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and an assortment of other breathing problems.
Hot peppers have played an integral role in Chinese medicine. Peppers have an ingredient in them known as “Capsaicin;” this ingredient is particularly good at encouraging the lungs to work as well as they possibly can. If you want your lungs to work efficiently, then add peppers to your diet on a regular basis. Peppers are recommended as a daily food for all individual who smoke. If you are exposed to second hand smoke on a regular basis, you might want to eat as many peppers as you possibly can.
Peppers help to fight off a cold or flu, due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Anyone who suffers from sinus congestion or sinus pain or has postnasal drip or problems with their nasal passages should add peppers to their daily diet. Peppers of all sorts can help to decrease the incidence of headaches.
Peppers have very few calories and are extremely high when it comes to vitamin C. In fact a green bell pepper contains more vitamin C than any kind of citrus fruit that is of the same weight and a red pepper triples that when it comes to vitamin C. The hotter the pepper, the higher quantity of vitamin C it contains. Back in history Chile peppers have been used to help prevent the common cold and when a person did get a head cold, Chile peppers helped to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Many people complain that they get indigestion hot peppers. Some people believe that stomach ulcers are linked to eating a great deal of hot peppers– but this has never been proven conclusively in research studies.
Hot peppers are thought to work as a blood thinner, which can help the body to fight some causes of both strokes and heart attacks.
There are topical skin creams that contain the ingredient capsicum and this is useful for a number of chronic skin disorders as well as skin pain.
Take Fioricet, Butalbital APAP Caffeine
Eating peppers is a great way to stay healthy. Besides tasting great, peppers contribute to fighting disease, improving your respiratory health, and stimulating the digestive tract. Although some object to the tingling sensations of hot peppers, many swear by their advantages.
All peppers come from the genus “Capsicum,” but the variety among peppers is tremendous. There are peppers that are mildly flavored, sweet peppers, and dangerously hot firecrackers.
No matter whether you enjoy the taste of the mild Anaheim or bell pepper, the medium Cascabel or the fiery Jalapeno or Tabasco, you should enjoy peppers on a regular basis. Peppers are not only delicious, they are also virtually fat free.
Peppers come in a wide variety of colors: light, medium and dark green; gold; orange; bright red and all the way up to dark red; yellow peppers from pale to bright; browns from medium to extremely dark and some peppers are even purple in color.
Peppers are comparable to garlic and onions in their health benefits. Peppers are helpful for respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and an assortment of other breathing problems.
Hot peppers have played an integral role in Chinese medicine. Peppers have an ingredient in them known as “Capsaicin;” this ingredient is particularly good at encouraging the lungs to work as well as they possibly can. If you want your lungs to work efficiently, then add peppers to your diet on a regular basis. Peppers are recommended as a daily food for all individual who smoke. If you are exposed to second hand smoke on a regular basis, you might want to eat as many peppers as you possibly can.
Peppers help to fight off a cold or flu, due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Anyone who suffers from sinus congestion or sinus pain or has postnasal drip or problems with their nasal passages should add peppers to their daily diet. Peppers of all sorts can help to decrease the incidence of headaches.
Peppers have very few calories and are extremely high when it comes to vitamin C. In fact a green bell pepper contains more vitamin C than any kind of citrus fruit that is of the same weight and a red pepper triples that when it comes to vitamin C. The hotter the pepper, the higher quantity of vitamin C it contains. Back in history Chile peppers have been used to help prevent the common cold and when a person did get a head cold, Chile peppers helped to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Many people complain that they get indigestion hot peppers. Some people believe that stomach ulcers are linked to eating a great deal of hot peppers– but this has never been proven conclusively in research studies.
Hot peppers are thought to work as a blood thinner, which can help the body to fight some causes of both strokes and heart attacks.
There are topical skin creams that contain the ingredient capsicum and this is useful for a number of chronic skin disorders as well as skin pain.
Take Fioricet, Butalbital APAP Caffeine
Tags: Sinus Pain, Yellow Peppers
