Embracing Paleo diet in a non-Paleo world is anything but a walk in the park.
However, time and again we are reminded of the serious health implications of eating pre-packaged and processed food products.
In this day and age, the old wisdom that advises us not to eat anything we can’t pronounce is not enough.
We have to constantly on our toes and be vigilant as there are seemingly common and safe sounding chemical compounds added to foods such as sodium bicarbonate. It is for this reason that it is best to stick to organic and fresh food products.
Some Basic Science
Any Paleo diet practitioner should have a basic idea of their food composition. It’s not enough to simply tell our loved ones not to eat anything with an ingredient they can’t pronounce. We need to be curious and become more informed. For instance, if we are to take butylated hydroxyanisole syllable by syllable, this one is not as difficult to pronounce, right? But knowing what it is and understanding its health implications will give us more reasons to stick to Paleo diet and appreciate the great benefits of choosing fresh, organically grown food sources.
So to jumpstart your basic science crash course on food additives, get to know the deadliest ones:
Ferrous Gluconate
This particular food additive is an iron compound that is often taken as a supplement. Ferrous gluconate is commonly used as an additive in black olives in order to give it that uniform black color.
Methyl Cellulose
This additive is a cellulose derivative, typically used as an indigestible emulsifier or thickener. This is also an active ingredient in Citrucel, as it is used as a replacement for gelatine.
Mono- and Diglycerides
These additives are forms of fats that is widely derived from vegetable oil and sometimes from pork or beef fat. This is commonly used in processed products to keep the ingredients from separating. It is also added to baked products in order to prevent them from going stale as well as produce a more desirable consistency.
Magnesium Stearate
Another common additive, magnesium stearate is commonly found in nutritional supplement tablets and also in food products. It is used to prevent ingredients from clumping together and is also used in products such as powdered baby formula.
One cannot stress enough the importance of eating food from their most natural food, something that the Paleo diet staunchly supports and promotes. Having said that, if you will stick to eating organically grown, fresh and all natural food, you don’t have to worry about dealing with additives and poisoning your body with it.
