BHT Additives and PreservativesWhat In The World Is BHT?

Our food is often riddled with ingredients that seem like a secret code or the language of manufacturers that the “common folk” could never understand. Thank goodness for those who have taken the time to record their research. My spouse was feeling nostalgic and picked up a box of cereal at our local grocery store. This particular cereal, with its cartoon apple happily jumping into a bowl of cereal and milk, has a laundry list of ingredients. Some of the ingredients are not terrible. Whole grain oat flour looks promising. (From last week’s post on sulfur dioxide the dried apples listed give me the shudders.) Even more alarming is that mystery BHT. What the heck is that?

BHT, Yet Another Preservative

BHT stands for Butylated Hydroxytoluene. The biggest problem I found while researching BHT, and its cousin BHA, is that the research is very contradictory. Some studies say that BHT actually helps cells protect against cancer. Other studies label BHT as toxic and a carcinogen at low levels, or high levels, and/or all levels in between. It became increasingly confusing the more I read. Huge amounts have been injected into lab mice with little to no research done on humans.

What Is It?

What exactly does this all mean!? What it means is no one really knows what negative impact it may have on long term use. There is also no clarity on how individuals who are sensitive to man-made chemicals may react. BHT, according to webmd, is used to treat genital herpes and AIDS. They actually note the following: “BHT is a lab-made chemical that is used as a preservative. It may damage the protective outer layer of viral cells. This may keep the viruses from multiplying and/or doing more damage.”

May, Might, Could, Possibly…???

They go on to note that there isn’t enough research to determine if it is safe for medical use or even safe to use on skin! They also advise you to either stay away from it or only ingest the BHT used in food if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. This also makes no sense to me. I wouldn’t want this type of uncertainty anywhere near me if I was pregnant! The FDA notes that “uncertainties exist requiring that additional studies should be conducted.” If you are still not convinced that BHT has no place in our bodies or on our skin, consider that the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for BHT notes: it can cause liver damage, is harmful to aquatic organisms, and “should not be allowed to enter the environment”. BHT is also found in…

  • Cosmetics
  • Beauty bars
  • Cereal and other processed foods
  • Embalming fluid
  • Jet Fuel
  • Car tires

The Bottom Line

The point to all this is that you should never simply accept the ingredients in your food. Checks to see if the ingredients are even something you want anywhere near you. You have invested a lot of time to live an organic, chemical-free life. If you allow BHT or BHA in your products no one can tell you with certainty that the buildup of these chemicals in your body will not cause issues for you or even your future generations. If you have eaten it in several foods throughout the day, washed your face with it, applied it as a makeup, and however else you may find it in your environment-you are being slowly poisoned! Stick with what nature has provided. Thankfully, what you find in natural foods doesn’t need an MSDS label!

Applications & Resources for BHT

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