Americans really do love unhealthy food. In fact, eight ingredients considered unhealthy and dangerous are banned in countries around the world. But not here.
The banned ingredients include:
Ingredients: Coloring agents (blue 1, blue 2, yellow 5, and yellow 6)
Found in: Cake, candy, macaroni and cheese, medicines, sport drinks, soda, pet food, and cheese
Health hazards: Back in the day, food coloring came from natural sources, such as saffron and turmeric. In the 20th century, most artificial colors are made from coal tar, which is also used to seal-coat products to preserve and protect the shine of industrial floors. It also appears in head lice shampoos to kill off the small bugs.
Ingredient: Olestra (aka Olean)
Found in: Fat-free potato chips
Health hazards: This fat substitute appears to cause a dramatic depletion of fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids, robbing us of the vital micro-nutrients. The U.K. and Canada, have banned it.
Ingredient: Brominated vegetable oil (aka BVO)
Found in: Sports drinks and citrus-flavored sodas
Health hazards: It competes with iodine for receptor sites in the body, elevated levels of the stuff may lead to thyroid issues, such as hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, and cancer. And BVO's main ingredient, bromine, is a poisonous chemical that is considered both corrosive and toxic. It's been linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss, which explains why it's been nixed in more than 100 countries.
Ingredient: Potassium bromate (aka brominated flour)
Found in: Rolls, wraps, flatbread, bread crumbs, and bagel chips
Health hazards: Made with the same toxic chemical found in BVO (bromine), this additive has been associated with kidney and nervous system disorders as well as gastrointestinal discomfort.
Ingredient: Azodicarbonamide
Found in: Breads, frozen dinners, boxed pasta mixes, and packaged baked goods
Health hazards: It's not enough to just ban this product in Singapore. You can get up to 15 years in prison and be penalized nearly half a million dollars in fines for using this chemical that's been linked to...
... asthma and is primarily used in foamed plastics, like yoga mats and sneaker soles.
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Ingredients: BHA and BHT
Found in: Cereal, nut mixes, gum, butter, meat, dehydrated potatoes, and beer
Health hazards: California is the only state that recognizes the U.S. National Institute of Health's report that BHA is may be a human carcinogen, a cancer-causing agent.
Ingredients: Synthetic hormones (rBGH and rBST)
Found in: Milk and dairy products
Health hazards: Cows treated with these synthetic hormones often become lame, infertile, and suffer from inflamed and infected udders. Humans, who consume these cows byproducts, are in no better shape. The milk is supercharged with IGF-1 (insulin growth factor -1), which has been linked to breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
Ingredient: Arsenic (yes, it's still on the list)
Found in: Poultry
Health hazards: The European Union has outlawed the use of arsenic since 1999 and the Environmental Protection Agency classifies inorganic arsenic as a "human carcinogen." Take matters into your own hands by sticking to organic birds only.
