It’s common knowledge that if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a food label, it’s probably not the kind of ingredient you want to be eating. Even if a food product is not entirely chemically made, it often contains food additives among the list of ingredients on the label.
What Are Food Additives?
As the name implies, food additives are ingredients added to food, often for the sake of enhancing the flavor and texture of the food, or to preserve its freshness.
While not all food additives cause serious side effects, some additives can be detrimental to your health.
7 Common Food Additives You Should Avoid
Because not all food additives are as risky as others, we thought we’d help you navigate through the label by highlighting some common food additives you might find that you should avoid:
1. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is often added to savory foods (think canned soups, salty snacks, and even Chinese take-out) to enhance their flavor, however, this food additive has been highly debated for years. Many people experience sensitivity to MSG in the form of headaches, sweating, and numbness, while others do not experience these negative side effects (hence the debate).
There have also been findings regarding MSG’s neurological effects and its detrimental effect on growth and development in humans. While this side effect is still being researched, it’s best to just avoid food products with added MSG to make sure your meals remain safe.
