The Dangers Lurking in the Pantry

 

Believe it or not, chances are you have food items in your pantry that are known to cause memory loss, rapid weight-gain, thyroid deterioration, Alzheimer’s, ulcers, various forms of cancer, and much more. People often have a jaded perception of the “healthy” alternatives to things like commercial soda or cereals, but upon hearing of the side effects that one can expect upon consuming the “real things”, that Whole Foods brand cereal may start to sound a bit more appealing. Yes, in this week’s edition of “scary but true”, we’ll take a look at some of the hidden horrors that lurk in our kitchens. 

We start our list with brominated vegetable oil (BVO) for short. BVO is found in various kinds of mainstream sodas like Mountain Dew and is out-rightly banned in the European Union because it contains bromide which can build up in the body and cause all kinds of problems. Specifically, a bromide buildup can lead to memory loss, learning disabilities in children, kidney damage, loss of hearing as well as kidney & thyroid cancer. 

It’s well known that the way in which we obtain the milk that appears on the shelves in the local supermarkets is far from natural. In order to produce the most milk at the lowest price, U.S. dairy farmers will often pump their heffers full of growth hormones like rBST and rBGH which are inevitably transferred over to consumers upon consumption. Some effects linked to non-organic milk intake include, acne, ear infections, poor thyroid activity and hormone-related cancers. The FDA claims there’s no difference between the milk derived from cows treated with these hormones and that which comes naturally, yet Canada and the European Union ban it definitively.

We end our short sample list with food color-dyes. Such dyes are responsible for many of the bright colored candies, sports drinks and baked goods. Dyes like red 40, yellow 5 and yellow 6, while not completely banned in some European countries, all products which contain them must carry a warning label that lets consumers know that they can have an adverse effect on children. Austria and Norway ban them completely. They have been found to cause asthma, different forms of cancer, hyperactivity in children and other developmental complications.  

Next time you reach for that famous cereal brand or sports drink, consider the facts! While that good old reliable logo may seem enticing, there may be scary side effects hiding beneath it. 

For tips on how to change your diet so as to ensure your overall well-being, schedule a free consultation with one of our doctors today :)

Sources:

1. Chicago Tribune. 11/03/21 “Common US Foods that are Banned in Other Countries” https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/table-talkers/sns-stacker-us-foods-banned-other-countries-20211103-gxobzgtxvnf6pnt26ugjstmxka-photogallery.html

2. United Patients Group 10/12/2016 Malanca, John. “What’s So Bad about Bromide?” https://unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/whats-so-bad-about-bromide-breast-cancer-dr-v/

3. Hope 4 Cancer. 02/24/2014 Dr. Subrata Chakravarty “The Dangers of Hormones in Milk” https://hope4cancer.com/blog/dangers-hormones-in-milk/

4. Healthline. 01/07/2017 “Food Dyes: Harmless or Harmful?” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/food-dyes