For decades, food companies have been using chemicals in its packaged foods, processed meats and snack foods to make them more addictive, give them longer shelf life and enhance their taste and it’s killing our brains. The average person consumes an enormous amount of artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, food dyes and heavy metals every day without realizing what they do to our bodies. These five food ingredients that kill your brain are common food additives found in everything from diet soda to soup packets at your local grocery store. Go through this list and discover how these ingredients cause degenerative brain issues, decrease cognitive function and steal your memory.
Monosodium Glutamate MSG
So, what is Monosodium glutamate MSG, and why should you avoid it? MSG is a flavor enhancer made from processed wheat gluten, corn starch, and salt and used for centuries in Asian cuisine to add a savory flavor to dishes. However, MSG has a bad reputation because it’s been linked to many health problems.
Some of the most common side effects of MSG include brain fog, depression, migraines, obesity, type II diabetes, and heart disease.
Many highly processed foods such as fast food, canned soups, salad dressings, lunch meat and frozen dinners contain MSG. It’s added to improve taste when food manufacturers remove the natural flavor from their products during processing. However, MSG is not a necessary ingredient for most of these foods because they’re cooked with saturated fats and salt, which already provide a savory flavor.
Why is MSG many processed foods?
It’s cheap, and it makes food taste better. Food companies add MSG to their products because they know it will make you eat more. The average person consumes about three times as much processed food as they should, and a lot of that food contains MSG.
To avoid MSG, read the ingredient list on processed foods carefully. Monosodium glutamate is listed as “monosodium glutamate,” “flavor enhancer,” or “seasoning.” You can also look for products that are labeled “MSG-free.” However, this doesn’t mean the product is completely free of MSG. The FDA allows food manufacturers to list a product as “MSG-free” if it contains less than 0.02% monosodium glutamate.
Avoid processed foods whenever possible and read ingredient lists carefully when you buy processed products because they usually contain hidden MSG.
Aspartame
Aspartame has been around since the early 1980s, and it’s one of the most popular artificial sweeteners on the market. It’s in everything from diet sodas or diet foods to chewing gum, but some studies have claimed that it can be harmful to your health. However, other research has found that there’s nothing to worry about, so what should you make of all the mixed reports?
Well, here’s what we know.
Aspartame is a sugar substitute first developed in the early 1970s by combining methanol with a slightly modified aspartic acid (a nonessential amino acid). The amino acids derived from the fermentation process are initially modified to produce aspartame. However, it wasn’t until Donald Rumsfeld became the CEO of G.D. Searle & Company in 1985 that Aspartame’s popularity really began to take off.
Rumsfeld had a strong interest in getting Aspartame approved by the FDA, and he used his political connections to make it happen. Rumsfeld was even able to get Donald Kennedy, the President of the FDA at the time, appointed to a position on the board of directors for G.D. Searle & Company.
Eventually, Aspartame was approved by the FDA in 1981, and it has been a popular sugar substitute ever since. Although some people believe that Aspartame is unsafe, most scientific research shows that it is safe for human consumption.
Aspartame is a prime example of why ingredient labels are so important. As you’ll see below, Aspartame has been linked to health problems such as cancer and neurological disease. As with many food additives, Aspartame’s long-term effects are still unknown.
Linked to brain tumors
The FDA first approved Aspartame for use in carbonated beverages in 1983. Aspartame was approved for other beverages, baked goods, and confections. Aspartame has since been linked to various health issues, including cancer, neurological disease, brain tumors, diabetes, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks. The FDA requires Aspartame manufacturers to include a notice on their products stating Aspartame has been linked to brain tumors and, as such, should be avoided by pregnant women.
Aspartic acid is a non-essential amino acid that can become toxic in high amounts. As you probably know, our bodies produce their supply of Aspartic Acid, but we also receive it from the foods we eat. Aspartame is a synthetic Aspartic Acid, meaning it’s not found in nature, and our bodies don’t know how to process it. When Aspartame is metabolized, it releases methanol (wood alcohol), which the body converts into formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that can cause cancer and neurological disease. Aspartic acid has also been linked to emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks. Still, scientists can’t agree if Aspartame causes these problems or exacerbates some people’s existing conditions.
An article by The Huffington Post states that Aspartame is the number one source of side-effect complaints submitted to the FDA. Aspartame is also the most commonly reported food additive to cause adverse reactions.
The long-term effects of Aspartame are still unknown, as it’s only been on the market for a few decades.
Sucralose
There have been a few studies that suggest Sucralose can affect cognitive function and memory. One study found that rats fed Sucralose had impaired spatial learning and memory. Another study found that Sucralose could alter the way the brain processes information. If Sucralose can affect the brain, this side-effect would likely occur in humans as well.
Sucralose was discovered in 1976 by a grad student working on creating new insecticides for the company Tate & Lyle PLC. Still, her discovery quickly became irrelevant when she could not get it approved as an insecticide because of its sweetness. Instead, this artificial sweetener began to be used as a food additive and was first approved for use in Canada.
In 1991, after many years of research and testing on animals such as rats and rabbits, Sucralose began to be sold throughout the world, including the US, even though it came with a warning label about its carcinogenic properties. During the 1990s, Tate & Lyle PLC was sued many times for causing damage to people who consumed their products, including Sucralose.
In 2000, Tate & Lyle PLC sold Splenda and its global sucralose business to McNeil Nutritionals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, for $440 million even though they were aware that tests showed Sucralose caused shrunken thymus glands and enlarged liver and kidneys in animals.
In 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re-evaluated Sucralose and found that it was still safe to use as an artificial sweetener even though they could not rule out the possibility of it being cancer causing agent.
The FDA disagreed with the EFSA’s findings
The FDA disagreed with the EFSA’s findings and continued to claim that Sucralose was safe for use in food even though it has been shown to shrink thymus glands, enlarged liver, and kidneys, affect reproduction, cause genetic changes (mutations), which lead to cancer, and affect gut flora [1].
Sucralose is incredibly sneaky because the Tate & Lyle marketing department decided it was a good idea to state in their advertising that Splenda is”Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar.” They were later sued by the makers of Equal and had to remove the tagline. It may start as sugar, but when you add Chlorine to the sugar molecule, it is totally different and very harmful. Here are some other names that Sucralose goes by; Trichlorogalactosucrose, Trichlorosucrose, NatraTaste Gold.
Diacetyl
Do you know that buttery, creamy taste in your favorite microwave popcorn? Diacetyl is to thank for that. As one of the more insidious additives in food, Diacetyl adds a delicious flavor profile to all snacks and treats. But what you may not know is that Diacetyl is also present in many other foods you eat every day such as; dairy, fermented soy sauce and vinegar, potatoes, bread crusts, and tortilla chips, to name a few examples.
Diacetyl is a respiratory toxin that has been used for years as an additive to microwave popcorn because it produces a buttery taste without adding unnecessary calories and naturally occurs during fermentation processes. A rare disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as “popcorn lung,” which causes scarring and obstruction of the smallest airways in the lungs is linked to Diacetyl. Several health concerns have been raised about Diacetyl in recent years, including that it crosses the blood-brain barrier.
Alzheimer’s disease
There is evidence that Diacetyl may also be linked to Alzheimer’s disease. A study in the ACS journal Chemical Research in Toxicology[3] found that Diacetyl exposure caused beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of mice. These are both hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that Diacetyl exposure led to increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain, which may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Diacetyl exposure can also lead to respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis in susceptible individuals. Diacetyl exposure has been associated with a rare autoimmune disease called lymphocytic choriomeningitis, or LCMV infection that causes damage to the immune system and lungs. More research is needed to determine whether Diacetyl exposure contributes to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. I would think twice about eating Microwave popcorn when you are Netflix & Chillin’.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a metal found in various everyday objects, including cookware, foil, and antacids. It is also used in the manufacturing of vaccines and other medications. While Aluminum in minimal amounts is considered relatively safe, some experts believe that it can have adverse effects on the brain.[4]
One of the main concerns about Aluminum is its ability to accumulate in the brain over time. Aluminum is a neurotoxin, which means that it can damage nerve cells in the brain. Studies have shown that Aluminum can cause inflammation and lead to Alzheimer’s disease or other neurological disorders[5].
With its presence in the brains of many patients who died from Alzheimer’s disease it will be forever linked. Aluminum acts as a catalyst for free radicals and speeds up their production, leading to cell damage and death due to oxidative stress on cells.
How to Test
I always recommend that all my clients get at least one of three tests, blood tests, urine samples, or hair analysis to investigate the presence of Aluminum.
Aluminum is present naturally in water supplies but overuse of aluminum salts as coagulants to purify water has led to an Aluminum buildup in the soil. Aluminum can also be present in certain foods, Aluminum cooking ware, Aluminum supplements, and some medications such as antacids or anti-ulcer drugs. Many other sources including pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides, contain aluminum compounds.
Aluminum is also linked to autism, ADD/ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome, reproductive problems, osteoporosis, and bone fractures.
The list of food ingredients that kill your brain and body seems to grow daily. There are always new studies about how one ingredient or another is destroying the human body and making us fat, diseased, depressed, addicted, etc. but what can you do to protect yourself?
Read ingredient lists carefully, avoid artificial food like soft drinks, artificial additives and chemicals as much as possible, which means avoid foods like processed foods. Taking care of your brain now will help you to avoid disease later.
- Verduci, Elvira et al. “Nutrition, Microbiota and Role of Gut-Brain Axis in Subjects with Phenylketonuria (PKU): A Review.” Nutrients vol. 12,11 3319. 29 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12113319
- Pase MP, Himali JJ, Beiser AS, Aparicio HJ, Satizabal CL, Vasan RS, Seshadri S, Jacques PF. Sugar- and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and the Risks of Incident Stroke and Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study. Stroke. 2017 May;48(5):1139-1146. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.116.016027. PMID: 28428346; PMCID: PMC5405737.
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Swati S. More, Ashish P. Vartak, and Robert Vince. The Butter Flavorant, Diacetyl, Exacerbates β-Amyloid Cytotoxicity: Chemical Research in Toxicology 2012 25 (10), 2083-2091 DOI: 10.1021/tx3001016
- Reinke CM, Breitkreutz J, Leuenberger H. Aluminium in over-the-counter drugs: risks outweigh benefits? Drug Saf. 2003;26(14):1011-25. doi: 10.2165/00002018-200326140-00003. PMID: 14583063.
- Mold MJ, O’Farrell A, Morris B, Exley C. Aluminum and Tau in Neurofibrillary Tangles in Familial Alzheimer’s Disease. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2021 Apr 9;5(1):283-294. doi: 10.3233/ADR-210011. PMID: 34113785; PMCID: PMC8150251.
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