The hidden toxins in your favorite foods and treats REVEALED

 

From heavy metals in dark chocolate to lighter fluid in chicken nuggets

Pictured above are six foods containing toxins that you probably never realized were there. They include a powder used in bread to help it rise faster that is also included in explosives, lead from car exhausts in dark chocolate and a substance found in lighter fluid that is also added to chicken nuggets to keep them fresh for longer

Pictured above are six foods containing toxins that you probably never realized were there. They include a powder used in bread to help it rise faster that is also included in explosives, lead from car exhausts in dark chocolate and a substance found in lighter fluid that is also added to chicken nuggets to keep them fresh for longer

Everybody knows by now that junk food is filled with sugar, salt and saturated fats that can lead to obesity and chronic obesity.

But many will be surprised to learn there are even more harmful ingredients lurking in their favorite treats.

In a report last month, researchers found toxic metals in every dark chocolate bar they tested, including big-name brands like Hershey's, Lindt and Tony's Chocolonely.

Substance found in lighter fluids, is also in chicken nuggets 

Butane isn’t just for lighters anymore — it's also added to chicken nuggets, potato chips and some fast foods to keep them fresh for longer.

The chemical — tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) — is considered to be safe in low doses in foods.

But in higher amounts it has been linked to tumors, liver enlargements, convulsions and paralysis.

Red food dye found in Doritos, Skittles and Pepsi can trigger inflammatory bowel disease 

Food companies swear by TBHQ because it can preserve food, keeping its flavor, color and nutritional value for longer.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the chemical for use in foods back in the 70s, when fast foods were becoming ever-more popular.

Now it is claimed to be in everything from McDonald's chicken nuggets and nstant noodles to snack crackers.

The FDA currently allows for no more than 0.02 percent of an item's total fat and oil content to be TBHQ.

Authorities in Europe have also determined that TBHQ is safe to use in foods in low concentrations. 

The chemical is made from butane, which is stored in lighters as a liquid and released as a gas ignited by a spark.

Explosive material in breads, muffins and cookies

Potassium bromate has been used as an explosive for decades.

But the white powder is also mixed into flour used for baked goods such as breads and cookies, because it can help dough to rise and keep its shape.

Lab studies have repeatedly linked it to cancers in the thyroid and peritoneum — the thin layer of cells covering the bladder, rectum — and the uterus.

But the FDA is yet to outlaw its use in the United States, and continues to consider the substance as 'GRAS', generally recognized as safe.

This contrasts with the view in many other countries and blocs, including the UK, Canada, India, Brazil and the European Union — which have all outlawed it.

Warnings over its potential to cause cancer date back to 1999, when reports on this risk began to be released.

The food industry has long argued it is safe to use because during cooking the powder is converted into potassium bromide, a non-carcinogen.

But tests in the UK back in 1994 showed that potassium bromate remains in foods even after cooking.

This included all six unwrapped bread products tested, and seven out of 22 wrapped that were checked.

California has taken action against the ingredient, requiring products that use it to carry a warning label for consumers.

The above graphic shows the 28 chocolate bars tested by New York-based nonprofit Consumer Reports. All were found to contain lead and cadmium. Consumer Reports compared levels of the heavy metal in about an ounce of the chocolates to the recommended daily exposure levels from the Californian Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

The above graphic shows the 28 chocolate bars tested by New York-based nonprofit Consumer Reports. All were found to contain lead and cadmium. Consumer Reports compared levels of the heavy metal in about an ounce of the chocolates to the recommended daily exposure levels from the Californian Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

Heavy metals in dark chocolate

Dark chocolate has been repeatedly lauded for its health benefits, from promoting heart health to packing a heavy punch of antioxidants.

But a recent investigation into 28 popular brands — including Lindt, Hershey's and Trader Joe's — found all the bars contained alarming amounts of cadmium and lead.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF LEAD EXPOSURE 

Lead exposure in children is often difficult to observe, with no immediate symptoms.

But if there is suspicion a child has been exposed, then parents should talk to their child's healthcare provider about getting a blood test.

Lead is more harmful to children under six years old because their body is still developing. 

Children:

- Damage to the brain and nervous system;

- Slowed growth and development;

- Learning and behavior problems;

- Hearing and speech problems.

This can lead to: 

- Lowered IQ;

- Decreased ability to pay attention;

- Underperformance in school. 

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Cadmium ends up in chocolate when it is sucked up through cacao tree roots, with exposure over a long period of time linked to kidney failure and weak bones.

But lead, which is well-known to be dangerous to humans, gets into chocolate after cacao beans are left out to dry by roadsides — and become coated with lead from car fumes.

Lead exposure over long periods is linked to memory loss, abdominal pain and low mood in adults.

But in children it can damage brain development, as well as leading to learning and behavior problems and issues with speech and hearing.

Experts say there is too little heavy metal in each individual bar to poison someone, with this only likely to happen after eating more than an entire sharing-sized bar.

The FDA sets no national limit for lead and cadmium levels in chocolate.

A spokeswoman for the agency told DailyMail.com last month: 'The FDA continues to monitor and regulate levels of environmental contaminants, including lead and cadmium, in foods.

'If the agency finds that the level of a contaminant causes the food to be unsafe, we take action.'

Vomit chemical hiding in butter and parmesan

It turns out that a chemical found in vomit is also present in some butters and parmesan cheeses.

Called butyric acid, it is a short-chain fatty acid made naturally that ends up in animal products — such as those using milk.

About three to four percent of butter is butyric acid, which is behind the disagreeable smell created when the food turns rancid.

Few studies have been carried out into the substance, but those that have suggest it has positive health benefits.

The substance has already been linked to a lowered risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), colon cancer and improved insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetics.

No estimates are available on how much of the acid is needed to prompt health benefits in people.

But raising fiber intake may be the best strategy, scientists say, because this triggers bacteria breaking it down to produce chemicals like butyric acid.

Carcinogenic chemical in candy 

A substance deployed in paints, rubber and plastics is also hidden in many popular candy brands.

Industries often use titanium dioxide to give their products a white color and glossy sheen.

But manufacturers of popular candies, salad dressing and chewing gum also use it to give a smooth texture or as a white colorant.

The FDA has imposed strict guidelines on how much can be used in food, setting a maximum limit of no more than one percent.

While US regulators say the compound is safe in small amounts, the additive has been banned in European Union countries.

Microplastics lurking in fast foods 

Popular fast food items from major chains like McDonald's and Burger King contain small amounts of industrial chemicals called phthalates, the compounds used to make plastic pliable. 

Scientists have repeatedly found evidence of these insidious chemicals in a majority of foods tested. 

study published in 2021 tested 64 fast food items from national chains including McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Chipotle, and found the majority contained these chemicals. 

They have previously been linked to health problems including hormone disruption, infertility and an increased risk for learning, attention and behavioral disorders in children.

The substances mainly get into foods when they come into contact with packaging and handling equipment, such as cellophane and papers.

Concerns are being raised over microplastics as they are introduced into the food chain amid widespread use of plastics.

But researchers say the levels being detected in foods at present are not such that they would raise alarm at federal agencies.

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Researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, found the additive can hamper the gut’s ability to absorb nutrients, water and electrolytes, increasing a person's risk of developing an inflammatory bowel disease.


8 Questions to Ask Before You Get the Flu Shot

Model of Influenza Virus from U.S. National In...
Model of Influenza Virus from U.S. National Institutes for Health (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Despite what you may have heard, the flu vaccine is not for everyone.

Under assault from a massive public relations campaign from drug store chains, big pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies, people who don’t get the flu shot are often accused of being uneducated, or even worse, socially irresponsible.

But many experts say this type of flu shot fanaticism is misguided.

“Vaccinations have become very profitable, with medical recommendations sometimes being driven more by profit rather than science or sanity,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of the best-selling book “Real Cause, Real Cure.”

Alert: Flu Epidemic Hits US — What You Need to Know About Flu Shots

Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) a non-profit charity, notes that more people get compensation for injuries suffered from the flu vaccine than for any vaccination other than the DPT shot.

“The influenza vaccine, like other vaccines, is not without its share of risks,’ she tells Newsmax Health.

Vaccine reactions can include redness, swelling, heat or hardness at the injection site, body hives or rashes, high fever, twitching or jerking of the head, weakness or paralysis of any part of the body, muscle weakness, joint pain, and breathing difficulties.

Fisher says anybody considering the flu shot should first answer these eight questions:

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/flu-shot-vaccine-questions/2013/11/06/id/535082#ixzz2jv4FnkL6
Alert: What Is Your Risk for a Heart Attack? Find Out Now

Diet fizzy drinks make you 60% MORE likely to get diabetes

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options (Photo credit: globochem3x1minus1)

Diet fizzy drinks make you 60% MORE likely to get diabetes than regular, 'full fat' versions


  • Drinking one can a week of any type of fizzy drink increases risk of diabetes by a third
  • Women who drank 1.5 litres of diet drinks a week had up to 60 per cent increased risk of the disease
  • Artificial sweeteners in diet drinks may be to blame 
  •  
  • Diet fizzy drinks can raise the risk of diabetes by 60 per cent, startling new research has revealed.

    A study of more than 66,000 women found those who drank artificially sweetened drinks were more likely to develop the disease than those who indulged in regular, 'full fat' versions.

    The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, fly in the face of conventional thinking that regular versions of fizzy drinks are always worse for our health. 

    The effect is compounded by the fact that diet drinkers also consume more - on average 2.8 glasses a week compared to 1.6 for regular drinkers.
    Regular, full-fat versions of fizzy drinks have previously been linked to an increased risk of diabetes

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2275500/Diet-fizzy-drinks-make-60-MORE-likely-diabetes-regular-fat-versions.html#ixzz2KRv1R1Kp
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    Nuts Shown to Prevent Pancreatic Cancer

    Brazil nuts come from a South American tree
    Brazil nuts come from a South American tree (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    In surprising new evidence of the health benefits of nuts, Harvard researchers are reporting consumption of almonds, cashews, and other nuts greatly reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
     
    The study, published online in the British Journal of Cancer, examined the association between nut consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer among 75,680 women in the long-running Nurses' Health Study.
     
    The results showed women who consumed a one-ounce serving of nuts — including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts — at least twice a week were far less likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who did not.
     

    Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/nuts-pancreatic-cancer-prevention/2013/11/08/id/535687#ixzz2kFTc0Bie
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    Olive oil, nuts tied to prostate-cancer survival

    English: Micrograph of prostatic adenocarcinom...
    English: Micrograph of prostatic adenocarcinoma, conventional (acinar) type, the most common form of prostate cancer. Prostate biopsy. H&E stain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    'It doesn't take a major diet overhaul to get significant health benefits'

    (NPR) — Sometimes, it doesn’t take a major diet overhaul to get significant health benefits. Small changes can be helpful, too.

    This seems to be the take-home message from a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine linking olive oil and nuts to improved survival from prostate cancer.

    Researchers studied the fat intake of more than 4,500 men who had been diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer (this is cancer that’s still confined to the prostate gland and has not spread to another place in the body).


    Turmeric Proven to Fight Diabetes…Again!



    Mike Barrett
    Activist Post



    Research highlighting turmeric’s powerful health-boosting properties just seems to never cease, with some recent research showing yet again that the super spice can help to prevent diabetes risk thanks to the spice’s active compound curcumin.

    What’s more, the compound helps to prevent diabetes among those with pre-diabetes – indicated that extremely high blood sugar levels that could ultimately result in type 2 diabetes.

    Without a doubt, there is a clear connection between turmeric and diabetes prevention.

    Published in the journal Diabetes Care, the study involved 240 Thai adults with prediabetes. The participants were divided into 2 groups, with one group taking curcumin capsules containing 250 milligrams of curcuminoids, while the other was given a placebo. After a 9 month period, it was found that 19 individuals of the 116-person placebo group developed type 2 diabetes, while none of the participants of the 199-person curcumin group developed the disease.

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    Hormone Treatment Eases Chronic Pain: Study

    Pain in acute myocardial infarction (rear)
    Pain in acute myocardial infarction (rear) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    A combination of two hormones might make a difference in reducing suffering in people with chronic pain, according to a small, preliminary study.


    Seven of 9 patients reported a 30 percent to 40 percent decrease in pain after taking doses of oxytocin and human chorionic gonadotropin, the researchers found. In addition, the level of opioid (narcotic) painkillers needed by these seven patients also declined by 30 percent to 40 percent.

    Patients also reported improvement in the intensity of pain flare-ups and longer time between flares, the study authors said.

    Oxytocin is known as the "love hormone" and has been linked to positive human emotions. Human chorionic gonadotropin plays a role during pregnancy. Levels of both hormones increase during and after childbirth, and they're thought to contribute to lower levels of pain in pregnant women.

    Study author Dr. Forest Tennant, an internist who specializes in chronic pain at the Veract Intractable Pain Clinics in West Covina, Calif., said there were few side effects with the treatment.

    Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/oxytocin-pain-hormone-treatment/2014/03/08/id/556805#ixzz2vTbZGry3
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    Health Benefits of Raw Organic Sheep's Milk





    Although in the United States, sheep milk is not as popular as cow milk, sheep milk and its products are widely consumed in other parts of the world, especially in the Mediterranean. In fact, Greek feta cheese and Italian ricotta cheese are made from sheep milk. Sheep milk is rich in many nutrients; however, it is not recommended that you drink it raw. The Food and Drug Administration states that drinking raw milk is a health risk because it can contain bacteria such as E. coli. The FDA also assures that pasteurization does not degrade the milk's nutritional quality in any way.

    Protein and Carbohydrate

    Sheep milk is richer in protein than either cow or goat milk -- it contains about two percent more. Protein from mammalian milk is of high quality because it contains all essential amino acids. Getting enough protein is important because your body needs it to grow and repair itself. Sheep milk is also higher in lactose than cow and goat milk and is therefore not recommended for lactose-intolerant individuals.
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    At last, the truth: Butter is GOOD for you - and margarine is chemical gunk

    • We have been conned into believing margarine was better for us than butter
    • The scientific evidence is totally at odds with decades of official advice
    • The profit-grabbing manufacturers have never been prepared to admit
    Like my grandmother before me, I have never had a tub of margarine in the house. Perhaps thanks to her, my gut instinct has always told me that butter is better for you.

    Not only does butter taste incomparably better, it's a natural product that human beings have been eating and cooking with for centuries without ­damaging their health.

    Why swap it for margarine, a highly synthetic and unpleasant-tasting concoction laced with additives and cheap, low-grade oils refined on an industrial scale?

    The truth: Evidence shows butter is better for you than margarine despite decades of advice to the contrary
    The truth: Evidence shows butter is better for you than margarine despite decades of advice to the contrary
    Especially, if I tell you that without colourings margarine isn't yellow at all, but actually an appetite-crushing shade of sludgy grey.

    If my preference for butter began with instinct, in the past few years it's been supported by a growing body of scientific research that not only indicates that there is absolutely no reason to stop eating ­butter, but also leads to one inescapable conclusion: that decades of government health advice, particularly in regard to heart disease, cholesterol levels and the consumption of fats and oils, have been plain wrong.

    It's so wrong, in fact, that I believe the health establishment now owes us an apology. 
    We have been conned into believing that margarine was better for us than butter. The nation's morning toast has been ruined for decades by kind-hearted women thinking they were doing the best for their ­husbands and children by switching from butter to marge

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2274747/At-truth-Butter-GOOD--margarine-chemical-gunk.html#ixzz2KRlC3Jfc
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    Did Wheat Hybridization Give Rise To Celiac Disease?

    Starting in the 1960′s, and increasingly in the 1990′s, plant breeders undertook efforts to produce hybrid wheat varieties with the goals of improving yield and disease resistance. Both worthwhile goals but it’s possible that wheat hybridization may have led to the rapidly growing prevalence of celiac disease today.

    We learn that not all gluten is created equally. A study identifies that, “Gluten proteins from wheat can induce celiac disease (CD) in genetically susceptible individuals. Specific gluten peptides can be presented by antigen presenting cells to gluten-sensitive T-cell lymphocytes leading to CD.”1
    The same abstract explains that a study of over 80 varieties of wheat shows read more…

    Nutrition 101: How Processed Foods Make Us Fat, Malnourished, and Sick


    Daisy Luther
    Activist Post

    Did you ever wonder how people who exist on a diet of mainly processed foods can be both overweight and malnourished at the same time? Despite overly abundant calories, people who live off of boxed macaroni and cheese, frozen dinners, Ramen noodles, and other packaged foods aren’t getting the nutrients that people who eat a whole foods diet are getting. Deadly GMO ingredients aside, the sheer amount of chemicals in processed foods can lead to disease, obesity, and malnutrition.

    If you aren’t entirely familiar with the way processed foods can affect your health, read on. This is an introduction to how processed foods differ from whole foods, based on frequently asked questions about the subject.

    What happens in your body when you eat processed foods?

    Cheap Diabetes drug could beat prostate cancer by shrinking tumours

    A diabetes drug costing as  little as 2p a tablet could offer a major breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer.

    Research has shown that the medicine, called metformin, causes tumours to shrink by slowing the rate at which cancerous cells grow.

    If the results are confirmed in bigger  trials, it raises the possibility that men could be given the cheap, readily available drug as soon as they are diagnosed.
    Hope for the future: Diabetes drug metformin, which costs as little as 2p a tablet, could offer a major breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer
    Hope for the future: Diabetes drug metformin, which costs as little as 2p a tablet, could offer a major breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer


    Nearly 40,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK and 10,000 men die from it – the equivalent of more than one an hour. 


    The risks of developing a tumour increase with age, and there is a strong genetic element to the disease.

    Metformin is widely used on the NHS to treat patients with type 2 diabetes.
    But recent studies highlighting the drug’s effects against a variety of tumours have generated considerable excitement among cancer researchers looking for  powerful new treatments.

    Last year, scientists discovered  it could slash the risk of ovarian cancer by around 40 per cent. 


    And Cancer Research UK is currently funding a major five-year study, involving early 5,000 British women with breast cancer, to see if the drug will stop the disease returning and boost survival rates.

    Other research teams around the world are investigating metformin’s powers against skin, lung and pancreatic cancer, with promising early results.
     

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2174015/Diabetes-drug-costing-just-2p-beat-prostate-cancer-shrinking-tumours.html#ixzz20yOUvLMl