It seems like some of everybody's favorites are just carcinogenic cocktails of hazardous elements.
Sodium nitrite has been widely used for almost 40 years as one of the most effective food additives to tinge color on cured meat. To date, it is one of the most potent nervous system carcinogens known in experimental animals.
This chemical is not merely a precursor of NDMA but also a mutagenic substance - one which is capable of causing mutations in cells which trigger the development of cancers.
The toxicity of the sodium nitrite was confirmed in laboratory tests where the agent was added to the mice drinking water for the period of 18 months. All mice developed various tumors, including thymic lymphoma (malignant cancer of the lymphatic system that occurs in front of the heart in an organ called the thymus), nonthymic lymphoid leukemia, pulmonary adenoma and carcinoma (benign and malignant lung tumors).
The latest research was performed examining the possible association of maternal intake of cured meat (an important source of dietary N-nitroso compounds - NOCs) during pregnancy and the risk of pediatric brain tumors. Analyzing child brain tumor (CBT) risk by type of cured meat ingested showed that hot dog consumption increased CBT risk by 33% and sausage - by 44%.
The highest concentrations of NDMA has been found in cured meats, especially bacon-and especially when cooked; concentrations of 100 micrograms kg(-1) have been found or, more usually, near 10 micrograms kg(-1). This would correspond to consumption of 1 microgram of NDMA in a 100-g portion. Much higher concentrations of NDMA (but lower ones of other nitrosamines) have been found in Japanese smoked and cured fish (more than 100 micrograms kg(-1)). Beer is one source of NDMA, in which as much as 70 micrograms l(-1) has been reported in some types of German beer, although usual levels are much lower (10 or 5 micrograms l(-1)); this could mean a considerable intake for a heavy beer drinker of several liters per day.
Research on adults makes convincing argument to avoid cured or smoked meats. Even more compelling is the evidence linking consumption of nitrate to a significantly increased risk of the major childhood cancers, including leukemias and lymphomas:
- Children who eat twelve hot dogs per month have nearly ten times the risk of developing leukemia as children who do not eat hot dogs.
- Children who eat hot dogs once a week double their chances of developing brain tumors; eating them twice a week triples the risk.
- Pregnant women who eat two servings per day of any cured meat have more than double the risk of bearing children who have brain cancer.
- Children who eat the most ham, bacon, and sausage have three times the risk of developing lymphoma.
- Children who eat ground meat once a week have twice the risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia as those who eat none; eating two or more hamburgers weekly triples the risk.
If you choose to eat red meat:
- Limit your intake to no more than 3 or 4 ounces daily—about the size of a deck of playing cards. And choose the leanest cuts available, keeping in mind that the USDA allows the meat and dairy industry to label fat content by weight rather than by percentage of calories.
- Avoid consuming well-done, charbroiled, and fat-laden meats.
- Don't eat cured meats, including bacon and hot dogs, especially if you are pregnant or a child under the age of 12.
- Consider buying free-range meats or wild game.
Are NOCs the only agents causing cancers? A recent study performed by the National Cancer Institute provided evidence to the association of diets containing substantial amounts of red or preserved meats and the risk of various cancers, including colorectal cancer. Laboratory results have shown that meats cooked at high temperatures contain other potential mutagens (agents causing mutations of the cells and triggering cancer) in the form of HCAs and PAHs.
SULFITES Sulfurous compounds, or sulfites, have been added to foods and beverages for almost a century. Currently, six are used by the food industry: sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite and potassium metabisulfite. Sulfites are cheap, easy to use and extremely effective at preventing microbial growth and reducing spoilage. Sulfites are used in many ways: as preservatives, to prevent browning, to stop bacteria formation, to bleach food starches, and to control fermentation. Sulfites are added to such foods as dried fruits; shellfish and other seafood; salad dressings; pickles and wine and beer. Since they are now used in dough conditioners, they may be found also in finished packaged goods, such as cookies.
The sulfur dioxide and sulfites are on the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list. For a specific segment of the population, however, sulfites pose a definite, documented health risk. Reported reactions cover a wide variety of symptoms—from hives, nausea and diarrhea to respiratory failure. The most often reported reaction is asthmatic attack.
Sulfites, Ulcerative Colitis & Colon Cancer Recent studies confirmed that food rich in silfites may increase risk of ulcerative colitis relapses. Major sources of sulfites are bitter beer, white wine, burgers, soft drinks from concentrates, sausages and red wine. Beer and red wine, but not alcohol increased the activity of the disease, which suggests the role of sulfites rather than alcohol in the disease process. Since ulcerative colitis patients have an increased risk of colon cancer, it is probable that factors responsible for inflammation in these patients are also responsible for colorectal tumors. (Bibliography [24]).
| LOW SULFITE FOODS |
HIGH SULFITE FOODS |
- Pork
- Breakfast cereals
- Lettuce
- Apples or pears, raw
- Melon
- Bananas
- Bacon
- Beef, or beef products
- Tomatoes
- Soup, not dried
- Citrus fruits
- Fish
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Potatoes, including chips
- Legumes (peas and beans)
|
- Beer
(except German beer which is sulfite free)
- Wine (particularly white)
- Sausages and burgers (unless not sulfited, e.g. some organic brands)
- Sulfite containing soft drinks (e.g. fruit squash concentrates)
- Shellfish
- Sulfited dried fruit and vegetables (e.g. dried potatoes, dried apricots)
- Processed fruit pies and fruit cakes
- Coffee (except decaffeinated)
- Any other foods containing the sulfite additives E220-228 (EU code)
- Any foods containing carrageenan (Irish moss)
|
If you have allergies, asthma, or suspect that you are sensitive to sulfites, you can protect yourself against sulfites in several ways.
The following foods and drugs may contain sulfites, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Not all manufacturers use sulfites in these products, and the amounts may vary. Remember to check the product label.
Food Category | Type of Food |
| Alcoholic Beverages |
Beer, cocktail mixes, wine, wine coolers. |
| Baked Goods | Cookies, crackers, mixes with dried fruits or vegetables, pie crust, pizza crust, quiche crust, flour tortillas. |
| Condiments and Relishes | Dried citrus fruit beverage mixes. |
| Confections and Frostings | Brown, raw, powdered or white sugar derived from sugar beets. |
| Modified Dairy Products | Filled milk (a specially
prepared skim milk in which vegetable oils, rather than animal fats, are added to increase its fat content). |
| Drugs | Antiemetics (taken to prevent nausea), cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, tranquilizers, intravenous muscle relaxants, analgesics (painkillers), anesthetics, steroids and nebulized bronchodilator solutions (used for treatment of asthma). |
| Fish and Shellfish | Canned clams; fresh, frozen,
canned or dried shrimp; frozen lobster; scallops; dried cod. |
| Fresh Fruit and Vegetables | Sulfite use banned (except for fresh potatoes). |
| Gelatins, Puddings and Fillings | Fruit fillings, flavored and unflavored gelatin, pectin jelling agents. |
| Grain Products and Pastas | Cornstarch, modified food starch, spinach pasta, gravies, hominy, breadings, batters,
noodle/rice mixes. |
| Jams and Jellies | Jams and jellies.
|
| Nuts and Nut Products | Shredded coconut. |
| Plant Protein Products | Soy protein. |
| Processed Fruits | Canned, bottled or frozen fruit
juices (including lemon, lime, grape and apple); dried fruit;
canned, bottled or frozen dietetic fruit or fruit juices;
maraschino cherries and glazed fruit. |
| Processed Vegetables | Vegetable juice, canned vegetables (including potatoes), pickled vegetables (including sauerkraut), dried vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, frozen potatoes and potato salad. |
| Snack Foods | Dried fruit snacks, trail mixes,
filled crackers. |
| Soups and Soup Mixes | Canned seafood soups, dried soup mixes. |
| Sweet Sauces, Toppings | Corn syrup, maple syrup, fruit toppings and syrups, high-fructose corn syrup, pancake syrup. |
| Tea | Instant tea, liquid tea concentrates |
The food preservatives, sulfur dioxide and its salts, are known to present some toxic, mutagenic and antinutritional effects; in fact they interact with a number of nutrients, e.g. some vitamins, notably thiamine (Th) and folic acid (FA).
A research of oral toxicity of sulfite-containing (sodium metabisulfite 1% Na2S2O5) diet showed growth retardation in animals and diminished food efficiency. Sulfites in stored food may react with unsaturated fats leading to the formation of polymers of unsaturated fatty acids and/or other toxic substances.
The food additive MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) has become far more prevalent in canned, packaged and prepared foods including cakes, gingerbreads, soft drinks, yogurts, soups, instant (dehydrated) soups and gravies, confections, baked goods (including cookies), cheeses, jams, sausage, and gum over the past decade. The presence of MSG in food may be difficult to detect since the terms "natural flavor, "flavoring," or "hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)," all may appear on food labels to refer to MSG, according to current FDA food labeling code. HVP typically contains 10–30% MSG.
The safety issue of this food additive remains controversial. On the one hand, it is a generally recognized as safe or GRAS substance. GRAS substances are those whose use is generally recognized by experts as safe, based on their extensive history of use in food or based on published scientific evidence.
On the other hand, recent animal experiments show that mice develop a high rate of obesity and type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus by injecting monosodium glutamate (MSG). Their blood concentrations of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were higher than in the MSG-free mice [47]. In earlier studies, MSG treated animals consumed significantly less liquid food and more calory-dense food which showed their inability to regulate caloric intake due to brain damage induced my the MSG [48]. When given a choice of different types of food, MSG-treated rats consumed much more carbohydrate than protein food. MSG added to diet increased food intake. Overfeeding induced metabolic disorders such as levels of lipid hydroperoxide (substance that triggers blood vessel inflammation) and decreased levels of total antioxidant substances.
In a 2006 study, German researchers for the first time demonstrated, that a widely used nutritional monosubstance—the flavoring agent monosodium glutamate—at concentrations that only slightly surpass those found in everyday human food, damages the brain regulation of appetite, and thereby determines the propensity of world-wide obesity that has risen to alarming levels. They suggested to abstain from adding the flavoring agents MSG to food.
FAST FOOD AND ASTHMA As part of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) a study of 1321 children aged 10 to 12 years) conducted in New Zealand suggested that frequent consumption of hamburgers is associated with asthma symptoms, and frequent takeaway consumption showed a similar association .
Fast Food Nutrition Content
McDonalds
www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.index1.html
Pizza Hut
www.pizzahut.com/menu/nutritioninfo.asp
Pancake House
www.calorieking.com/foods/search/International+House+of+Pancakes+IHOP+
Hardees Nutrition Information
www.hardees.com/content/downloads/nutrition.pdf
Wendys
www.wendys.com/food/NutritionLanding.jsp
Kentucky Fried Chicken
www.yum.com/nutrition/menu.asp?brandID_Abbr=2_KFC
Dairy Queen
www.dairyqueen.com/en-US/Menus+and+Nutrition/Nutrition+Charts/default.htm
Subway
www.subway.com/applications/NutritionInfo/index.aspx
Ganfolfo's
gandolfosdeli.com/documents/menu/nutrition_info.pdf
Dunkin Donuts
https://dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/nutrition/
Arby's
www.arby.com/nutrition/Arbys_US_Nutrition.pdf
Taco Bell
www.yum.com/nutrition/menu.asp?brandID_Abbr=5_TB
General Nutrition facts:
www.dietfacts.com/
www.calorieking.com/
www.fastfood.com/default.asp
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