Food ingredients that can make you very ill

Food ingredients can make our food tasty and colourful but sometimes, they can harm your health also. We always need to take care of what we are consuming with our food. Sometimes the food we eat contains ingredients that are harmful to our health.

These are the list of common ingredients which can be harmful to your health:

Food Dyes

Colourful foods attract people, but the secret behind this is food dyes. The vibrant coloured food looks more appealing. Some studies show a link between dyes and increased ADHD or hyperactivity in children. It is also found that animals that consumed high doses of food dyes developed tumour growth. Even a small amount of benzene in the dyes can't possibly pose a high risk.

Also read | Healthy alternatives to replace junk food

Artificial Sugar

Sweeteners are not a healthy option. In a study that was published by the PLOS Medicine journal in March 2022, researchers found out artificial sweeteners like aspartame and acesulfame-K, which are used in many foods and beverage products can increase the risk of cancer. A sweet substance that can be found in food items like soda and juice and packaged desserts can cause tooth decay, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Palm Oil

Palm oil is dangerous for our health and the environment. Palm oil has a higher percentage of saturated fat in comparison to other oils. It's recommended not to consume more than 10%. Because this can increase the risk of problems like cardiovascular.

Artificial Flavouring

Certain flavours like chocolate, biscuit and strawberry were also found to have a toxic effect on bone marrow cells of rats and another animal study showed that grape, plum and orange synthetic flavourings inhibited cell division and were toxic for animals. The same can be applied to humans also. So, it's better to avoid food items that contain artificial flavouring.

Sodium Benzoate in pickles

This preservative is often used in carbonated drinks and acidic foods such as salads and pickles. Although it is recognized as safe by FDA, some study shows combining sodium benzoate with artificial food colouring increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old children.

When combined with vitamin C, sodium benzoate can also be converted into benzene, a compound that may develop the symptoms of cancer. Avoid foods that contain ingredients such as benzoic acid, benzene or benzoate, especially if combined with vitamin C.