Topic: What is on put in "food"

[Nick]

Tertiary Butylhydroquinone, Tert-Butylhydroquinone

This antioxidant is a petroleum-derived additive which is

primarily used in animal-derived food products, fats and

oils. May be used alone or in combination with BHA and/or

BHT.

The FDA states that the total antioxidant content (TBHQ)

must not exceed 0.02 percent of the oil or fat content of

the food. TBHQ is banned in some countries including Japan.

Countries which consume high amounts of fats containing TBHQ

may exceed acceptable daily intake (including Australia,

China and the United Kingdom).

Found In

oils, fats, butter, ice cream, margarine, bread, potato

chips
Possible Health Effects

Animal studies show this additive may be cancer-causing.

"Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals that tertiary butylhydroquinone

(TBHQ) is an artificial antioxidant derived from petroleum

and is a form of butane. Ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can

cause you to collapse, vomit, suffocate, or experience a

sense of delirium, nausea, and ringing in your ears.

Ingesting 5 grams can be fatal.
Animal studies show that TBHQ can cause biochemical changes

and cell mutation. It also affects the liver and

reproductive system."

-----

Monosodium Glutamate

Alternate Names

Sodium Glutamate, MSG, Accent , Zest, Ajinomoto, Vetsin
Description

Monosodium Glutamate, “MSG” is the salt of glutamic acid (an

amino acid). It occurs naturally in seaweed, soybeans and

sugar beets. It is used as an enhancer to intensify natural

flavors. There are many forms of glutamate. Free glutamate

is found in other additives such as hydrolyzed vegetable

protein and hydrolyzed yeast. Certain foods, such as

parmesan cheese and tomatoes, naturally contain glutamate.

There is much debate as to if the reactions are the same for

naturally-occurring versus added glutamate.

Additional Information

Between 1980 and 1994 the FDA received 600 reports of

problems due to MSG. The symptoms verified by the FDA

included headache, weakness, muscle tightness, numbness or

tingling, and flushing. Collectively, these symptoms have

been termed the "MSG Symptom Complex." The FDA identified

two groups of people who may develop complications from MSG.

Those intolerant of MSG when the substance is eaten in large

quantities, and develop the MSG symptom complex. The second

group contains patients with severe, poorly controlled

asthma, whose asthma may worsen after they eat foods

containing MSG, in addition to being prone to MSG symptom

complex. People with sensitivities may also experience

similar reactions to the artificial sweetener, Aspartame. A

study, published in 2008 in the Journal Obesity, indicated

that MSG intake may be associated with increased risk of

being overweight.

Found In

chips, canned fruits and vegetables, instant soup, bouillon

cubes, instant foods, salad dressing, frozen foods, soy

sauce, spices and flavorings, Asian foods, Asian restaurant

food

Possible Health Effects

The MSG Symptom Complex includes the following symptoms:

burning sensation of the back of head, facial pressure,

chest pain, headache, nausea, upper body tingling, weakness,

palpitations, numbness, muscle tightness, an drowsiness.

Other reported effects include exacerbation of existing

health conditions such as asthma and fibromyalgia,

depression, and difficulty breathing. May also be associated

with being overweight (see additional info).

Allergy Information

May cause allergic reaction in sensitive individuals

-----

dimethyl polysiloxane

 a form of silicone, an anti-foaming agent used in cosmetics

and other goods. Also found in Chicken McNuggets and Silly

Putty.
The World Health Organization (WHO) hasn’t found any adverse

health effects associated with dimethyl polysiloxane.

However, the additive hasn’t undergone any significant

safety studies either.

-----

High Fructose Corn Syrup
Alternate Names

HFCS, Isoglucose, Maize Syrup, Glucose-Fructose Syrup,

Glucose/Fructose
Description

Derived from corn. Corn syrup (taken from corn starch), that

has been treated with enzymes, converts glucose into

fructose. This fructose is mixed with corn syrup to create

the right level of sweetness. The ratio of fructose and

glucose is roughly 50/50 and has a similar sweetness to

table sugar. Varieties with higher fructose levels are used

and the higher the fructose level the sweeter it becomes.

Additional Information

HFCS was classified as GRAS (generally recognized as safe)

by the FDA in 1976. Since then, many food companies have

replaced regular sugar with HFCS as it is a cheaper

alternative. This is partially due to governmental subsidies

of US corn farmers. There is much debate as to if HFCS

contributes to the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes.

A 2010 study in rats indicated that HFCS does contribute to

increased body fat (see In The News section). HFCS is found

in thousands of products and is difficult to avoid. Products

containing HFCS cannot be considered 'natural' and should

not be labeled as such, the FDA has said. This is due to the

chemical and enzymatic process that is used to make HFCS.

The Corn Refiners Association fought back with a marketing

campaign which basically states that HFCS has the same

nutritional content as sugar and honey and as with all

sweeteners, should be consumed in moderation. Many food

manufacturers are now moving back to sugar in response to

consumer demand.

Found In

processed food, yogurt, beverages, candy, frozen desserts,

dairy drinks, canned fruit, processed ham, ice cream,

ketchup, lunch meat, salad dressing, syrup
Possible Health Effects

Animal studies indicate that HFCS contributes to obesity,

increased body fat, and higher triglyceride levels.
A peer-reviewed study (to read the study, see In the News

section) published in Clinical Epigenetics in 2012 set out

to find out why the autism rates were so different for the

US and Italy. After comparing a variety of variables, they

concluded that one reason may be the drastic differences

between consumption of HFCS. According to the study, U.S.

per capita consumption of HFCS in 2009 was 35.7 pounds per

year. The study goes on to state, "...The Mercury Toxicity

Model shows the HFCS characteristics most likely

contributing to autism include the zinc-depleting effect

that comes from consuming HFCS and certain food colors found

in processed foods, and the additional Hg [mercury] exposure

that may occur from the low Hg concentrations sometimes

found in HFCS as a result of the manufacturing process." The

study concludes that, "A comparison of autism prevalence

between the U.S. and Italy using the Mercury Toxicity Model

suggests the increase in autism in the U.S. is not related

to mercury exposure from fish, coal-fired power plants,

thimerosal, or dental amalgam but instead to the consumption

of HFCS. Consumption of HFCS may lead to mineral imbalances,

including Zn [zinc], Ca [calcium] and P [phosphorus] loss

and Cu [copper] gain and is a potential source of inorganic

mercury exposure."

In The News

May 15, 2012: UCLA study shows high-fructose diet sabotages

learning, memory.
April 4, 2012: Peer-reviewed study published in Clincal

Epigenetics, makes the link between high fructose corn syrup

and autism.
February 26, 2010: A new study titled, High-Fructose Corn

Syrup Causes Characteristics of Obesity in Rats: Increased

Body Weight, Body Fat and Triglyceride Levels, continues to

fuel the debate as to if HFCS causes obesity in humans.

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Calcium Propionate
Alternate Names

Propanoic Acid, Sodium Propionate, Calcium Salt, Calcium

Propanoate
Description

Calcium salt of propanoic acid. Used as a preservative and

mold and fungus inhibitor.

Additional Information

Some studies on children indicated negative health effects

(irritability, restlessness, sleep issues). Not recommended

for people with sodium sensitivity.

Found In

baked goods, processed cheese, chocolate products, poultry

stuffing,
Possible Health Effects

May cause irritability, restlessness, sleep issues,

headache, and upset stomach (especially in children).
Allergy Information

May cause allergic reaction in sensitive individuals
Online Resources/Related

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, Controlled trial of

cumulative behavioural effects of a common bread

preservative, August 2002, Dengate S., Ruben A.

Often times ingredients  lists don't state what kind of artificial flavor or color, only that some are in there. I will one commonly found in fake butter:
 
Diacetyl disrupts electrical and chemical brain signaling

leading to Alzheimer's disease
Learn more:

http://www.naturalnews.com/036784_artificial_butter_flavor_Alzheimers_popcorn.html#ixzz23S3GoFMf

Danger for Manufacturers of Microwave Popcorn
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has

issued a Hazard Communication Guidance for workers who

manufacture products containing diacetyl, the artificial

butter flavor in microwaveable popcorn. Employees exposed to

high doses of diacetyl have demonstrated a respiratory

disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans, which causes

permanent lung damage. Some workers have been placed on lung

transplant waiting lists: OSHA now requires respiratory

protection for workers in microwave popcorn packaging

plants. There is no established permissible exposure limit

(PEL) for diacetyl.

For more about artificial colors:

http://www.befoodsmart.com/query-result.php?field=fd%26c

Many artificial food dyes are manufactured from coal tar or

petroleum products. Blue No. 1, for example, is manufactured from coal tar

and can be found in some dairy products and in sweets. This

dye has been banned in the European Union, but is acceptable

in the United States.

Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) has been subjected to many studies

which link artificial coloring agents to Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder. A 1996 study in the Journal of

Nutritional & Environmental Medicine (Journal of Nutritional

& Environmental Medicine (1997) 7, 333±342) demonstrated

increased activity levels and aggression in children with

ADHD who consumed beverages laced with tartrazine and sunset

yellow (Yellow No. 6). Beverages laced with amaranth (a red

dye, currently delisted by the FDA because of suspected

carcinogenic properties) did not show an increase in hyperactivity.

Polysorbate 80
Alternate Names

Polyoxythylene Sorbitan Mono-Oleate, Tween 80
Description

An emulsifier, thickener, and humectant created by adding an

oleic acid molecule to sorbitol. It is a thick liquid that

is commonly used in non-dairy creamers and whipped cream to

prevent oil separation and allow whiteners to dissolve.

Additional Information

Along with polysorbate 60, it is known to be commonly

contaminated with 1,4 dioxane which is known to cause cancer

in animals. Often derived from petroleum.


http://www.befoodsmart.com/
http://onedroponedream.blogspot.com/2012/02/facts-about-

dimethylpolysiloxane-found.html

List of artificial flavorings (you can search for many of

them on befoodsmart.com):
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRS

earch.cfm?fr=172.515&SearchTerm=synthetic%20flavoring
 
http://leahlefler.hubpages.com/hub/Artificial-Chemicals-in-

Food-Additives-in-Modern-Food

[Nick]

Another side to the issue:

http://scienceblogs.com/moleculeoftheday/2007/03/29/tbhq-mixed-feelings/

I read they aren't required to do much safety checking of these things.

[Michael]

Now you mention it, from the same site, I came across this:

As for his obsession with glutamate, get over it. It’s an amino acid. Glutamate is used by the body to make proteins, along with all the other natural amino acids. Moreover, for all the fears of health affects of monosodium glutamate and glutamic acid, an association between glutamate and the symptoms commonly attributed to MSG has never been reproducibly demonstrated under rigorous, controlled conditions. The MSG syndrome appears to be largely a myth in which a wide variety of postprandial symptoms are mistakenly attributed to MSG. Basically, the various forms of protein extract, be they from yeast or other sources that Adams rants about, such as textured vegetable protein, soy protein, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein are just that: protein.

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2011/07/29/oh-no-theres-protein-and-salt-in-my-food/

[Nick]

There are so many different things in store bought foods these days it is hard to keep track of what you are eating. My fiancé swears MSG causes, contributes to her migraines which are most definately contributed to by her thyroid problems. Of course she can't really know if MSG is a culprit, but most of the "foods" that have MSG are junk anyway so we cut them out. Glutamate which gives food it's umami is a beautiful taste and most likely essential to our survival, but lots of things have glutamate without it needing to be added.

Thanks for the added information, if you find anything else pass it on.

More on tbhq, this is on safety testing, which involves animal testing. After the tests are done the animals are sacrificed and various parts removed for assay. For those who wish to be mindful of killing, tbhq is put in animal and none animal products alike.

Here is the think:
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v040je02.htm

[Nick]

Glutamate is found in most living things, but when they die, when organic matter breaks down, the glutamate molecule breaks apart. This can happen on a stove when you cook meat, over time when you age a parmesan cheese, by fermentation as in soy sauce or under the sun as a tomato ripens. When glutamate becomes L-glutamate, that's when things get "delicious." L-glutamate, said Ikeda, is a fifth taste. When Escoffier created veal stock, he was concentrating umami. When Japanese made their dashi, they were doing the same thing. When you bite into an anchovy, they are "like glutamate speedballs. They are pure umami," Jonah writes. "Aristotle was wrong. Plato was wrong. We have five tastes, not four. But when Ikeda's findings were published," Jonah says, "nobody believes him."

So Who Was Right?

It turns out, almost 100 years after Escoffier wrote his cookbook and Ikeda wrote his article, a new generation of scientists took a closer look at the human tongue and discovered, just as those two had insisted, that yes, there is a fifth taste. Humans do have receptors for L-glutamate and when something is really, really yummy in a non-sweet, sour, bitter or salty way, that's what you're tasting. In 2002, this became the new view. It's in the textbooks now and scientists decided to call this "new" taste, in Ikeda's honor, "umami." If you want to get an umami headache, add some monosodium glutamate to your next bowl of noodles.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15819485
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami

[Nick]

From the article Michael posted:

"This is just silly. Autolyzed proteins are nothing more than proteins from yeast extracts that have been partially digested by the yeast’s own digestive enzymes start to break down its proteins into amino acids and smaller peptides. The remaining non-protein, non-peptide cell components are then separated from the protein extract. In fact, it’s not a malignant process. It’s not an “evil” process. It’s a natural process. It’s simple chemistry that doesn’t even rely on those “evil,” “toxic” chemicals. All it takes is a bit of saltwater to place the yeast in with a high enough concentration of salt to make the cells shrivel up and lyse, releasing their contents into the solution. The yeast is then heated to complete the breakdown of the yeast cells, and the yeast cell walls are separated."

I like is part as it breaks it down to something basic and familiar for us non-chemists. Of course to really understand I would need more knowledge of chemistry.

[Nick]

I eat soup pretty much everyday, most of the soups have onion and or garlic. On the health benefits of onion:
http://www.herballegacy.com/Wilson_Chemical.html

“Antioxidants are compounds that help delay or slow the oxidative damage to cells and tissue of the body.  Studies have indicated that quercetin helps to eliminate free radicals in the body, to inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation (an important reaction in the atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease), to protect and regenerate vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant) and to inactivate the harmful effects of chelate metal ions”. 2"

"White onions contain very little querctin, so it’s better to stick with the yellow and red varieties.  Most health professionals recommend eating raw onions for maximum benefit, but cooking makes them more versatile and doesn’t significantly reduce their potency.  In fact, unlike sulfur compounds, quercetin can withstand the heat of cooking as long as it is a low heat."

[Nichi]

Nice to hear of the benefits - there's hardly anything I cook that in one way or the other doesn't connect to onions!

[Michael]

Raises a curious question. I am a great fan of onions and garlic (we grow our own Russian Garlic, which actually grows like a weed - we have to keep it in check, and dig up massive amounts every autumn). But I am aware that the Hari Krishna's, and their counterpart in India, see onion and garlic as a bad food, never to be used in cooking - it inflames the passions apparently. 

[Nick]

Hmmm....Sattvic, sentient food; helping fuel consciousness and lucidity, rajasic,  stimulant foods, and tamasic sedative foods... I could see that, esp. If we individualize it, and base it off a pragmatic understanding of what we actually observe works, not just a belief system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sattvic_diet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guna

This sounds interesting:
Two groups of amino acids--the aromatic and the acidic amino acids--are reputed to influence brain function when their ingestion in food changes the levels of these amino acids in the brain. The aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine) are the biosynthetic precursors for the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Single meals, depending on their protein content, can rapidly influence uptake of aromatic amino acid into the brain and, as a result, directly modify their conversion to neurotransmitters. 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7903674

IMPROVED SLEEP
Two amino acids – tyrosine and tryptophan – cross from your blood into your brain through the same path. If more tryptophan crosses through, it induces a calming effect, according to the Franklin Institute. Tryptophan is a precursor of melatonin and serotonin, two neurotransmitters that are considered sleep inducing. Because carbohydrates stimulate your brain to release insulin and insulin helps clear out tyrosine from your brain, eating a high-carbohydrate meal with tryptophan-rich foods will boost relaxation and sleep. 

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/542316-can-amino-acids-boost-brain-function/#ixzz26bSv31iL

ENHANCED ALERTNESS
If tyrosine beats out tryptophan in entering your brain, you will end up with an energy boost.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/542316-can-amino-acids-boost-brain-function/

There are parts of the brain, esp. the prefrontal cortex, who's function is enhanced by meditative practice. Just do a google search for "meditation prefrontal cortex".  I would imagine any food containing sufficient amounts of amino acids that could help the prefrontal cortex function in the desirable fashion during meditation, and would not hinder other aspects of meditative practice, could perhaps be classified as sattvic.

[Nick]

"It also occurred to me that the most sentient, sattvic, foods would most likely come straight from nature. 

Steiner provides some excellent insights in the article. 

What must we eat so that we are not merely the product of what we eat?

If a man desires to gain an increasing mastery over the inner processes of his body, it is important that he become correspondingly active in the external world. It is important for him to unfold certain external qualities such as stamina, courage and even aggressiveness. To be able to do [so], however, it is possible that a man may not yet find himself strong enough to entrust everything to his astral body and may have to fall back upon the support of a meat diet.

A man owes to a vegetarian diet the impulses that lift him above the narrow circles of existence. An extreme diet of meat is definitely connected with a man's increasing dogmatism and his inability to see beyond the confines into which he was born. In contrast, if men would show more interest in the food coming from the realm of plants, they would discover that they are able more easily to lift themselves out of their narrow circles. The person who abandons the task of fat formation by eating meat will notice that the activity thus forestalled erects a sort of wall around his astral body. 

Some foods have a specific effect of their own on the organism. Coffee is an example. The effect of coffee becomes manifest through its influence on the astral body. Through caffeine and the after-effects of coffee, our nervous systems automatically perform functions that we otherwise would have to produce through inner strength. It should not be claimed, however, that it is beneficial under all circumstances for a man always to act independently out of his astral body. Men are beings who are not dependent on themselves alone. Rather are they placed within the whole of life.

Coffee is also a product of the plant kingdom that externally has raised the specific plant process up a stage. Consequently, coffee can take over a certain task of man. Trained insight perceives that everything in the activity of our nerves that has to do with logical consistency and drawing conclusions is strengthened by coffee. Thus, we can let coffee take over in making logical connections and in sticking to one thought, but this, of course, is in exchange for a weakening of our specific inner forces. What I mean can be seen in the tendency of gossips at a coffee break to cling to a subject until it is completely exhausted. This is not only a joke. It also demonstrates the effects of coffee.

Tea works in a totally different and opposite way. When large quantities are drunk, thoughts become scattered and light. It might be said that the chief effect of tea is to let witty and brilliant thoughts, thoughts that have a certain individual lightness, flash forth. So we can say, coffee helps those, such as literary people, who need to connect thoughts in skilled and refined ways. This is the positive aspect of the matter. The negative aspect can be observed in coffee table gossip. Tea, which tears thoughts asunder, is the opposite. This is why tea is not without justification a popular drink of diplomats."

http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/19090108p01.html

[Nick]

Tea contains L-theanine, and its consumption is strongly associated with a calm but alert and focused, relatively productive (alpha wave dominant), mental state in humans. This mental state is also common to meditative practice.[10]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
10. http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/apjcn/volume17/vol17suppl.1/167-168S8-4.pdf


Coffee is no longer thought to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease.[135] One study suggests that it may have a mixed effect on short-term memory, by improving it when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought but making it more difficult to recall unrelated information.[136] Caffeine has been associated with its ability to act as an antidepressant. A review by de Paulis and Martin indicated a link between a decrease in suicide rates and coffee consumption, and suggested that the action of caffeine in blocking the inhibitory effects of adenosine on dopamine nerves in the brain reduced feelings of depression.[137]
Caffeine can cause anxiety symptoms in normal individuals, especially in vulnerable patients, like those with pre-existing anxiety disorders.[138][139]
A 1992 study concluded that about 10% of people with a moderate daily intake (235 mg per day) experienced increased levels of depression and anxiety when caffeine was withdrawn,[140] but a 2002 review of the literature criticised its methodology and concluded that "[t]he effects of caffeine withdrawal are still controversial."[134] About 15% of the U.S. general population report having stopped drinking coffee altogether, citing concern about health and unpleasant side effects of caffeine.[141]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee

[Michael]

it is possible that a man may not yet find himself strong enough to entrust everything to his astral body and may have to fall back upon the support of a meat diet.
....
our nervous systems automatically perform functions that we otherwise would have to produce through inner strength.
...
Thus, we can let coffee take over in making logical connections and in sticking to one thought, but this, of course, is in exchange for a weakening of our specific inner forces.

What he says about coffee and tea, although somewhat conditioned by the context of his times, is nonetheless fairly accurate. But it all comes down to the interplay between inner and outer influences.

This is what I classify under the category of 'props'.

In the end, what we delegate to physical props, weakens our soul. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't utilise props. For one reason, they enable us to achieve states that we simply wouldn't achieve or at least sustain, without the props. Thus a good prop can assist us in creating silent protectors, or points of awareness, that otherwise we could not cohesify by the power of our inner force alone. Once these points have been established, then it is easier to reach them through inner will.

Although the use of props undermines the autonomous sovereignty of our inner being, used in balance and with conscious deliberation, they are of ultimate importance to our path.

So much so, that to navigate through life, we employ the power of external forces constantly. The best image for this comes from Gurdjieff, who describes in his book, the 'new' system of intergalactic ship power. The old way was to use the ships own power supply to navigate, but they soon found that to be an enormous restriction - it simply wasn't up to the huge task of traversing the universe.

The new system utilised the gravitational force of large heavenly bodies. By 'locking-on' to such a body, and allowing it to pull the ship in its direction, so long as you didn't pass a critical threshold, your ship could employ these external forces to speed across the cosmos. When the pull reached a dangerous threshold, or was skewing the direction off-course, they would switch tact, and lock-on to another body further along their general direction. In this manner, they utilised the inherent power of props, without losing sight of their ultimate trajectory.

But further, we are beings-within-context. Everything we do and view is conditioned upon the influence of the world we have chosen to inhabit. So choose well.

[Michael]

If a man desires to gain an increasing mastery over the inner processes of his body, it is important that he become correspondingly active in the external world. It is important for him to unfold certain external qualities such as stamina, courage and even aggressiveness.