Eating organic food is the most nutritious way to eat but there are times when eating organic food isn’t an option. When this happens, the best thing to do is check the Nutrition Facts labels on food packages. This is because many suspicious and unhealthy ingredients are used in foods to help them stay good longer. Many of these should be avoided and here are the top 5. 1) Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) MSG is one of the most commonly added ingredients that people should avoid. This amino acid is used to enhance the flavor of processed foods. However, it’s also known as the neurotoxic chemical additive called “excitotoxin” which is harmful to nerve cells. MSG overexcites nerve cells and can even kill them. Regular consumption of this additive, and others like it, can destroy significant amounts of brain cells. This can cause serious health problems such as neurological disorders. 2) High Fructose Corn Syrup

Everyone has heard of High Fructose Corn Syrup and told that it’s bad to eat. This highly-refined sweetener is nearly always made from genetically altered corn and is the largest source of calories in US diets. It has also been seen as a factor in weight gain and diabetes development. Additionally, it’s a major factor in arthritis, raised triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Mercury has been found in high fructose corn syrup samples as well and is considered to be a potent toxin to the brain. 3) BHT and BHA Butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are preservatives used to extend shelf life. These are oxidants and are known to form reactive compounds that can cause cancer. BHA is considered to possibly be carcinogenic to the body while it’s listed as such in the State of California. These preservatives can be found in sausage, meat patties, cereal, chips, vegetable oil, butter, gum and even some cosmetics. 4) Potassium Bromate A type of bromide, potassium bromate is used to increase the volume of flour, rolls and other breads. Since being discovered as a cause of cancer in animals, Canada, the European Union and other nations have banned it. Bakers in the US have been asked to voluntarily cease its use since 1991 and in California, it’s seldom used because a warning about cancer is required to be put on product labels. Watch out for this ingredient’s other names, which include bromic acid and potassium salt. 5) Sodium Nitrate and Nitrite Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are very similar chemical ingredients used in the preservation of meat. Nitrates are turned into nitrosamines when they are added to meat, which happens at high temperatures. These are linked to an increased risk of some cancers and The World Cancer Research Fund has found that eating 1.8 ounces of meat that has been processed every day can increase the risk of cancer by 20%. Be careful for their other names, which are Chile saltpeter and Soda niter. Most of these ingredients are more harmful when they are consumed on a regular basis and should be avoided when possible. This is why many people have turned to eating organic food, which wouldn’t be organic if it was pumped with harmful ingredients.