“You are most likely putting these in or on your body”
- Gelatin
- Cellulose
- Castoreum
- Silicon Dioxide
- Shellac
- Borax
- L-Cysteine
- Carmine
Lets start with “Gelatin”. This is an ingredient that is generally used as a thickening agent for many foods. This product is designed to stabilize and enhance the texture of the foods we eat. This ingredient comes from animal body parts like pork and cattle bones as well as pigskin.
Next is Cellulose. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Dole, Wendy’s, Kraft Foods and many more companies have been putting cellulose into our foods for many years. This ingredient comes from both a cotton-based plant and bamboo, so essentially a type of wood. It is often labeled as “high-fiber” and is found in yogurt, ice cream, cereals and bakery products. It is mainly used as a thickening agent.
Next is Castoreum. This is an animal derived ingredient that comes from a Beaver. These food companies consider this a “natural ingredient”. It is used in perfumes and cosmetics. Also, it is used in candy, syrup and ice cream.
Next is Silicon Dioxide. This is not the worst of them but it is still important to know. Silica is the term used for silicon dioxide. It is used as an additive in our foods and basically it is dirt. They put it in our spices, sauces, supplements and snack bars.
Next is Shellac. This is used to coat our vegies and fruits, as well as our pastries and candies. They use this ingredient to make the food look more appealing. However, this ingredient comes from the secretion of Kerria Lacca insects.
Next is Borax. We are most likely safe from this one, eventhough it was used in the past as a food additive and is now banned. It still does show up in some imported foods like caviar. We know borax as a fungicide, herbicide, cleaner and fir retardant.
Next is L-Cysteine. This is made from a non-essential amino acid from hair and is used as a flavor enhancer for many bakery products. T has been found in pizza and croissants. McDonalds is still using this for their hamburgers.
Finally is Carmine. This comes from insects as well. Here are some labels to look for on your foods to see if you are eating bugs. Natural red-4, E120, Hydrated aluminum chelate and cochineal. For ahile Starbucks was using carmine to color their foods. It is still used in many foods today, like marinades, juices and dairy products.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Dr. James Lee from Austin Chiropractic has been studying nutrition and health for over 20 years. In that time he has read many books on diet and nutrition while coaching people in his South Austin office to better health. There are so many things to learn about when it comes to health. Dr. James Lee believes that Chiropractic care, Nutrition and Yoga are the top three things a person can do to better their health.