12/05/2025
Have you been eating "healthy"?
Here is a master list of ingredients you may need to be checking for:
🌿 FULL MASTER LIST OF HARMFUL FOOD ADDITIVES & CHEMICALS
(Including those found in organic, “natural,” or “health” foods)
Color Key:
🔴 High Concern / Strong Evidence of Harm
🟠 Moderate Concern / Mixed Evidence
🟡 Processing Loopholes / Hidden Sources
1. PRESERVATIVES & ANTIFUNGALS
🔴 Potassium Bromate
Linked to cancer; banned in many countries except the U.S.
🟠 Potassium Sorbate
Causes DNA damage in some studies; common in “clean” foods.
🔴 Propyl Paraben
Endocrine disruptor, fertility concerns.
🔴 BHA / BHT
Potential carcinogens; disrupt hormones.
🟠 Calcium Propionate
Linked to hyperactivity, aggression, behavior changes.
🟠 Sodium Propionate
Similar issues to calcium propionate; irritates gut lining.
🟠 Sodium Benzoate & Potassium Benzoate
Forms benzene (carcinogen) when combined with vitamin C.
🔴 Propyl Gallate
Possible endocrine disruptor; linked to tumors in animals.
🟠 Sodium Nitrite & Sodium Nitrate
Forms nitrosamines (carcinogenic) in processed meats.
🔴 EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid)
Heavy metal binder; may increase intestinal permeability.
🟠 Sodium Metabisulfite / Sulfites
Asthma triggers, headaches, gut disturbances.
🟠 Potassium Lactate / Sodium Lactate
Used in meats; alters gut microbiome.
2. ARTIFICIAL COLORS & DYES
🔴 Red 3 (Erythrosine)
Proven carcinogen in animals; banned in cosmetics but allowed in food.
🔴 Red 40 (Allura Red)
Impacts children’s neurological development; EU warning labels required.
🟠 Yellow 5 (Tartrazine)
Hyperactivity, sleep issues; EU warning required.
🔴 Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow)
Behavior issues at extremely low doses.
🟠 Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)
Linked to developmental delays in animals.
🔴 Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine)
Associated with tumor development.
🟠 Green 3 (Fast Green FCF)
Linked to bladder cancer.
🔴 Titanium Dioxide
Banned in EU; DNA damage and inflammation.
3. SWEETENERS (ARTIFICIAL & PROCESSED)
🔴 Aspartame
Linked to headaches, mood disorders, gut disruption.
🟠 Acesulfame Potassium
Associated with thyroid disruption.
🟠 Sucralose
Damages gut bacteria; forms toxic compounds when heated.
🔴 High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Metabolic dysfunction, fatty liver, obesity risk.
🟠 Sugar Alcohols (erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, isomalt, xylitol)
Bloating, diarrhea, dysbiosis.
🟠 Brown Rice Syrup
May contain arsenic.
🟡 Inulin Syrup / Chicory Fiber
Highly processed; causes bloating and gas.
4. EMULSIFIERS & THICKENERS
🔴 Carrageenan
Creates inflammation; gut irritant.
🟠 Soy Lecithin
Highly processed; often from GMO soy.
🟠 Polysorbate 20, 60, 65, 80
Linked to gut barrier damage and inflammation.
🟠 Xanthan Gum
Can irritate GI tract; made by bacteria fermenting corn/soy.
🟠 Guar Gum
Causes digestive problems in sensitive individuals.
🟠 Gellan Gum
Found in plant milks; GI discomfort.
🟠 Locust Bean Gum (Carob Bean Gum)
GI reactions in infants and adults.
🟠 Microcrystalline Cellulose / Cellulose Powder
“Wood pulp” fiber; indigestible and irritating.
🟠 Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (SSL)
Damages gut lining like polysorbates.
🟠 Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate (CSL)
Used in organic breads; same concerns as SSL.
🔴 DATEM (Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides)
Linked to heart muscle fibrosis in animals.
🔴 Mono- & Diglycerides
Hidden trans fats; commonly derived from seed oils.
5. FLAVORING AGENTS (ARTIFICIAL & “NATURAL” LOOPHOLES)
🟡 Artificial Flavors
Can contain hundreds of chemicals under one name.
🔴 “Natural Flavors” (loophole)
May include solvents, carriers, MSG derivatives.
🟠 Maltodextrin
Spikes blood sugar like glucose; usually GMO.
🟠 Yeast Extract / Autolyzed Yeast
Hidden source of MSG.
🔴 “Smoke Flavor / Natural Smoke”
Contains carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
🟡 Natural Vanilla Flavor (castoreum risk)
May include chemical solvents or animal-derived compounds.
🟡 Natural Caffeine
Highly processed extraction; far from “natural.”
6. PROCESSING AGENTS (NOT REQUIRED ON LABELS)
🔴 Hexane
Used to extract oils and plant proteins; neurotoxic.
🟠 Chlorine Washes
Used on organic produce and bagged greens.
🟠 Peracetic Acid
Used in organic poultry; corrosive and irritating.
🟠 Ammonium Hydroxide
Used in meat processing ("pink slime").
7. GRAINS, FLOURS & CARBOHYDRATE ADDITIVES
🔴 Enriched Wheat
Lifeless flour with synthetic vitamins added back.
🔴 Bleached Flour
Chlorine processed; alters starch into harmful forms.
🔴 Processed Cane Sugar (white sugar)
Inflammatory, nutrient-depleting, refined.
🔴 Hydrogenated & Fractionated Oils
Trans fats; heart and metabolic risks.
🟡 “Modified Starch” varieties
Chemically altered starches; gut disruptive.
8. MEAT, DAIRY & PROTEIN ADDITIVES
🟠 Carrageenan in dairy & plant milk
Already listed above; extremely common.
🟡 Microbial rennet substitutes
Often GMO.
🟡 Color-added meat (even in organic)
Beet juice or fruit extracts used for enhancement.
🔴 Hexane-extracted plant proteins
Used in vegan meats, protein powders, bars.
🟡 Tocopherols (Vit E) from seed oils
Used as preservative in snacks and baby formula.
9. CONTAMINANTS IN FOOD (NOT ADDITIVES, BUT HIGH RISK)
🔴 Arsenic (rice, rice products)
Major risk in baby foods.
🟠 Mycotoxins (corn, wheat, peanuts)
Toxic mold compounds from storage.
🔴 PFAS (forever chemicals)
From packaging, especially microwave popcorn bags & wrappers.
10. PACKAGING-TRANSFERRED CHEMICALS
🔴 BPA / BPS / BPF
Hormone-disrupting chemicals from cans and receipts.
🔴 Phthalates
Leach into dairy, meat, oils, and fast foods.
🔴 Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons (MOAH, MOSH)
Found in cereal, chocolate, rice from cardboard packaging.
11. OTHER GENERAL ADDITIVES
🟠 MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
Excitotoxin; causes headaches, mood shifts, and overeating.
🟠 Sodium Chloride (table salt)
Processed with anti-caking agents, stripped of minerals.
12. SEED OILS & DERIVATIVES
🔴 Canola, Soy, Corn, Cottonseed, Safflower, Sunflower, Grapeseed, Rice Bran Oils
Oxidative stress, inflammatory, chemically extracted.
🔴 Hydrogenated / Fractionated Versions
Highly toxic trans fats.
🟠 Mono- & Diglycerides (derived from seed oils)
Hidden emulsifiers containing trans fats.
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