Aspartame is in Equal and NutraSweet and the products that contain them, such as diet sodas and other low-cal and diet foods. It’s been found to cause brain tumors in rats as far back as the 1970s. A study in 2005 found that even small doses increase the incidence of lymphomas and leukemia in rats, along with brain tumors. People who are sensitive to aspartame may also suffer from headaches, dizziness, and hallucinations after consuming it. Why is this still in our food, I wonder?
Olestra is a fat substitute used in crackers and potato chips, marketed under the brand name Olean. This synthetic fat is not absorbed by the body (instead it goes right through it), so it can cause diarrhea, loose stools, abdominal cramps, and flatulence, among other symptoms. Furthermore, olestra reduces the body’s ability to absorb beneficial fat-soluble nutrients, including lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene.
Sodium nitrite (or sodium nitrate) is used as a preservative, coloring, and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, cold cuts, corned beef, smoked fish, and other processed meats. These additives can lead to the formation of cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines. Some studies have found a link between consuming cured meats and nitrite with cancer in humans.
There is one easy thing you can do about it—avoid packaged and processed food.
“There are probably things in our lives from which we could unburden ourselves.”—Matthieu Ricard
