I just read an article over at NaturalNews.com entitled, The 10 worst toxins hidden in vitamins, supplements and health foods. If you have time you should follow the link and read the full article. Below is a quick list of the 10 toxins listed in the article.
- Maltodextrin – the article states that if a product lists Maltodextrin in the ingredient list it is almost certainly from GM corn. What’s it in? Many “natural” products. HOW TO AVOID: look for products that are certified USDA organic and use Tapioca Maltodextrin, Tapioca Starch/Maltodextrin which is a non-corn replacement
- Vitamin C/Ascorbic Acid – again, from GMO corn, “nearly all the vitamin c sold in vitamins across America right now is derived from GMO corn”. Chances are your vitamin C is made with GMOs. HOW TO AVOID: If you are avoiding GMOs you probably need to ditch your pills and eat whole, natural, organic foods
- Hexane-Extracted Soy and Rice Proteins – Hexane is an environmentally hazardous chemical and trace amounts of it, from processing, may be left in “natural” proteins, including protein bars bought and eaten by millions of Americans. HOW TO AVOID: Look for and buy certified organic proteins, avoid natural, it doesn’t really mean anything.
- Aluminum in Detox Products – The article address one manufacturer specifically, Adya Clarity. Evidently, there was a huge lawsuit. HOW TO AVOID: If you are confused about what might be a high quality product, consult with your health care provider, holistic nutritionist or health coach.
- Lead and Arsenic in Herbs from China – “China is he most polluted nation on the planet (by far), yet many fruits, vegetables and herbs are grown in China and exported to North America for use in natural products.” HOW TO AVOID: Look for products from companies that test independently.
- Inorganic Minerals in Cheap Vitamins – In other words, things like iron filings and ground-up seashells. HOW TO AVOID: Eat real food. Get your minerals from organic plants. If you are happier taking a supplement but aren’t sure what companies make high quality products consult with holistic health care provider.
- Carrageenan – I wrote a whole post about this nasty additive. You can read that here. Here’s a quote from the Cornucopia Institute‘s most recent report on carrageenan – “Given its effect on gastrointestinal inflammation, Cornucopia urges anyone suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms (irritable bowel syndrome/IBS, spastic colon, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, etc.) to consider completely eliminating carrageenan from the diet to determine if carrageenan was a factor in causing the symptoms.” HOW TO AVOID: Read the ingredient list! It’s in all of the alternative dairy products, like almond milk, rice milk, even coconut milk that is found in those boxes in the cooler (buy coconut milk in cans). It’s in many more products, for a list please follow the link above to my post about carrageenan.
- Acrylamides – “cancer-causing chemicals produced during the cooking of carbohydrates”. Acrylamides are not an ingredient, they are produced during the cooking process so will not be in the ingredient list. Examples of foods that contain acrylamides: french fries, potato chips, breakfast cereal, cookies. You can see a full list here. HOW TO AVOID: I’m not sure that you can. The article at NaturalNews.com states that vitamin C blocks acrylamides and goes on to suggest “If you eat fried foods of any kind, make sure you ingest a lot of vitamin C, astaxanthin and chlorella before and after your meal for snack.” You want to avoid vitamin C made with GMOs so again, natural whole foods are best.
- Hidden MSG/Yeast Extract – I think most of us know to scan for MSG in the ingredient list but did you know that “yeast extract” is a hidden form of MSG? I didn’t! I try to learn something new everyday, today I have learned to scan for MSG and Yeast Extract. You will probably find either MSG or Yeast Extract in the ingredient list for “canned soups, dip mixes, snack chips, microwave dinners and especially in vegetarian products”. Other names for MSG are “autolyzed yeast extract”, “torula yeast” and/or “hydrolyzed vegetable protein”. HOW TO AVOID: read ingredients list or better yet, avoid processed foods.
- Fluoride in Green Tea – The green tea plant sucks up fluoride from the soil it’s grown in. “Adding green tea to the fluoride consumption you might experience from tap water is a recipe for disaster: brittle bones, discoloration of teeth and even cancer.” HOW TO AVOID: Again, not sure you can. The best thing to do would be avoid fluorinated water. The fluoride found in green tea probably isn’t a problem as long as it isn’t combined with fluorinated tap water.
So, there you have it. Again, if you have time click over to NaturalNews.com to read the full article. There is a lot more detail in the original article with lots of good links.
I’m Amy a board certified holistic nutritionist, certified functional nutritionist and lifestyle practitioner and certified Life Coach. I help women in midlife understand the changing needs of their body so that they can stop dieting and lose weight permanently. At 56 I live what I teach. Don’t believe the story that your best years are behind you. They are not. Your best years are just starting!