Removing Food Additives: Healing Americans from the Inside Out
By: Isabella Bagnaro
Photo credit: shutterstock.com.
The ingredients in our food affect all elements of our life, our brains, our energy, and can even influence your outward appearance in positive or negative ways. Some ingredients can help bring out nutrients that can cause clearer skin, mental clarity or higher energy, but others can cause acne, mental fog, and lower your natural energy. Sadly, in our country it is far more common to have the latter, many forms of chemicals are found in the meals and snacks we consume daily. I am passionate about the food I eat and have had an interest in what is on my plate for years. This has led me to research and keep up with studies and projects done to improve the ingredients/additives in American food.
Imagine this: you find yourself walking through the grocery store, picking foods to feed yourself, maybe your family. You push a squeaky-wheeled cart through aisle after aisle, eggs cage free, pasture raised, hormone free milk, organic produce… but what’s the difference? Why does it matter? You pick up an item, maybe its cheese, crackers, your favorite drink? You look at the back of said item to find an incredibly long list of ingredients, most of which have names so long you can’t begin to try to read let alone pronounce them. Most of those ingredients are chemicals or unnecessary additives that are extremely common in American foods. In fact, these chemically enhanced or “unhealthy” foods are more accessible, more common, and drastically cheaper. According to a national survey done by Cleveland Clinic, “Almost half of Americans (46%) view healthy food as being more expensive” (Buggey and Kelley). While price is just one of several factors in Americans grocery choices, the chemicals used on or in (even healthy) foods has been connected to many different health conditions such as diabetes, various heart conditions, and even some cancers. The toxic additives in our food lead to many health conditions and it is partly to blame for America's health crisis. By limiting these harmful chemicals, we can not only improve the flavor and natural element of our food, but it will heal the American people from the inside out, leading to a healthier nation.
The additives and preservatives in our foods are chemically made and can be very harmful to our bodies. Chemicals known as carcinogens are known to cause cancer and high amounts of added or processed sugar can cause an array of health conditions. From acne to heart conditions, these chemicals aren’t meant for our bodies. According to the Pew Research Center, there are over 10,000 additives, more than 3,00 of which are “generally recognized as safe” by the Food and Drug Administration. These additives “Enhance the shelf life, appearance, taste or nutritional value of foods” (Hefferon). In Europe, over 300 additives are permitted in their food according to the European Food Safety Authority. These Additives are bad for everyone physically, but their negative effects deposit money in people's pockets. Corporations like big pharma capitalize off of our foods making us sick, the sicker we are, the more medication we are prescribed. “Eating these ultra-processed foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value can increase your cancer risk by causing weight gain and obesity. Obesity can increase your risk for cancer” (Thomme).You may be asking, if we know these processed foods are bad for us, why do we keep eating them? This is a valid question, and applies to the majority of Americans. You see, highly processed foods are affordable, tasty, and have a chemical effect on your dopamine levels. According to Mitchell B. Leicester MD and Jenna Moore RD, many high processed foods have an effect on our dopamine which causes us to crave these foods more. “As restaurants and food-product businesses compete for our loyalty, the concentrations of flavor enhancers in what we now know as “hyperpalatable” foods have skyrocketed” (“The Neurochemistry of Food Cravings | Psychology Today”). Even though we may know these foods aren’t the best for us, our brain craves the flavor and dopamine hit. The accessibility and low price of these products also makes them appealing, especially in our struggling economy.
This graphic provided by the Heritage Fund shows the inflation rates of basic groceries during President Biden’s term.
This shows how expensive basic groceries have gotten, making the cheap option a necessity. A mindset of “we are surrounded by it” can also cause people to purchase cheaper, processed items. If nearly everything is processed, why waste your money on pricier items? Well, the answer is simple, limit the chemicals you are putting in your body, fresh produce is still the better option even when running the risk of pesticides. Wash your vegetables, pick the cage free, farm fresh options over heavily processed products when possible. If you cannot afford “healthier” or less processed items, that is a different story. But if you can afford to live healthier, I encourage you to do that.
All of America is threatened by this. Rich, poor, young, old, everyone. Those at higher risk for health conditions such as heart disease or obesity are more likely to be affected. The effects of consuming preservatives in a large quantity can result in many afflictions. Benzene, trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, and ethylene dichloride are known carcinogens - a substance capable of causing cancer - yet they remain ingredients in our food. “There is broad agreement that benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), methylene chloride, and ethylene dichloride are carcinogenic, and federal law is clear: additives that cause cancer in humans or animals are not considered “‘safe’” (“Why Are Four Notorious Carcinogens Approved by FDA for Food?”). Why would the FDA willingly allow known carcinogens in our food? Especially when they are actively affecting American citizens' health? Because the people in large corporations and officials in public health capitalize off of it. Europe surpases America in its food reserch and standards. The Citizens of France regularly consume foods higher in trans fats including varieties of bread, meats, and forms of cheese, and smoking is more common, yet, their rates of cancer, heart disease, and obesity are far lower than ours. Why is that? This is known as the “French Paradox” (Thomas). France is one of the healthiest European countries yet they have the most risk factors. Part of this is due to what they allow in their food.
This is a graph from the World Population Review that shows the Heart Disease Rates Per Country in 2021. In 2021, France was ranked with the 6th lowest heart disease rates, whereas the United States was ranked 47th.
This is a map of the cancer rates per country in 2022 from The World Population Review. As you can see, the United States has a very high cancer rate, second only to China.
This graph from The World Population Review displays country's total percent of smokers in their populations in 2022. As you can see, France has a much higher percentage of smokers (by 10.3%) than the United States, with a smaller population than America. Yet their cancer and heart disease rates are exceedingly lower.
This map from The World Population Review shows the total percent of country's populations that are obese (2024). As you can see, the United States has one of the highest percentages out of the 213 countries that submitted data. The Unites States reported to have 42.7% and France reported 17%.
“The first major difference between food in the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) is that Europeans do not let known or suspected carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) in their food” (Shore). An example of this is the American use of Potassium Bromate and Azodicarbonamide which are added to flour to turn it white and help dough rise. These two chemicals are outlawed in Europe for human consumption.
From the top down: one of the best ways to clean up our food, water, and medicine is to work from the top down. By electing officials who prioritize health we can get our voices and goals into the government. RFK Jr. has been working to “make America healthy again” for years. With Trump now in office, RFK Jr. will be assuming his new role in overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services. He plans to revise and make changes to the CDC, FDA, NIH, and U. S. Department of Agriculture. By making these changes in the government and public health, changes and the implementation of new research will begin. RFK Jr. aims to research two major areas: what food ingredients and chemicals has Europe outlawed that we have not and why? And what chemicals and ingredients have not yet been researched that are legally allowed in our food? By conducting research and studies on these two topics we can better learn about what is in our food, water, soil, and medicine, and how we can improve our health standards based on that. The way to help isn’t to eradicate fast food or snacks, just to improve even the simple ingredients that add flavors and color. The next piece of the solution: substitute. There are already more natural, healthy, (and still tasty) options readily available. By using the ingredients we already have available we can improve health and what we are putting into our bodies without sacrificing businesses, favorite treats, and taste.
Some challenges this solution may face is beyond us. Some large corporations and branches of the public health offices don’t want some chemicals to be researched, especially the ones that haven't been studied yet. This could make the process of these studies coming out more difficult for those in government or high scientific positions. But the everyday citizens cannot control that aside from voting for those who are fighting for what you prioritize. A direct negative of substituting ingredients and eliminating GMOs is higher prices, especially throughout the process of changing the way our food is made and grown. “Products made from GE ingredients are substantially cheaper than their counterparts. This is because farmers who utilize biotechnology generally produce more of whatever they grow, which tends to push down consumer food prices” (English). CAST reports stated that if we totally outlawed GMOs in food growth, that it would cost the U.S. economy $200 million – $4.9 billion annually. While this is a good point, and higher food pricing especially in the economic state we are currently in as a country is far less than ideal, the process of substituting ingredients and revising food laws wouldn’t eliminate all chemicals instantaneously, it would take a lot of research, time in legality for laws to be changed, and implementing these changes could easily take years. But the health of our country and our people is worth it. An immediate ban on certain ingredients is unrealistic, but researching, studying, and overtime taking out certain chemicals would boost the health of our country tremendously.
The toxic additives in our food lead to many health conditions and it is partly to blame for America's health crisis. By limiting these harmful chemicals, we can not only improve the flavor and natural element of our food, but it will heal the American people from the inside out, leading to a healthier nation. America allows thousands more additives in our food than Europe. Said chemicals, carcinogens, and additives lead to health conditions and aren’t good for your well-being. Big pharma is one of the mega-corporations that benefits from the illnesses the additives can cause. More people get sick, doctors prescribe more and more medicine, and pharmaceuticals profit off of us. By removing the harmful additives in our foods and replacing them with other ingredients that are already available, we take back control of what is going into our bodies. This process would take time but is worth it, over the years of it being implemented, the American people would be expected to improve in health drastically. We don’t necessarily need to make healthier food more accessible, we just need to make all foods better for the human body. Do your own research on the ingredients in our foods, visit the FDA’s additives page, and see for yourself what you are consuming on a daily basis. Find an organization that is working towards the same goal, and elect leaders that are actively pursuing a healthier America, and are focused on achieving that through our food. Don’t be afraid to say the quiet part out loud: don’t allow big pharma to capitalize off of our illnesses, help those around you live healthier lives.
Helpful government websites: Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) | FDA, Dichloromethane (CASRN 75-09-2) | IRIS | US EPA, Aspartame and Other Sweeteners in Food | FDA.
After reading all of this, and especially if you have conducted your own research in this topic, it can be easy to fall into a deep state of anxiety and fear for anything edible. But the truth is: food is fuel. Food, at its core, is a necessity for your body. While yes, changes and improvements are needed in our country’s standards and food quality, living in fear - especially over something you cannot control - is no way to live. My advice for you, from someone who also experienced fear trickling in as I researched and wrote this is, just live. If you can afford to eat cleaner, by all means, do so. If you can’t, or if it’s not a realistic option for you, just live as you normally would. If you want to monitor or be aware of what you consume, I am never going to say you shouldn’t, but it is your life, and you get to choose what is best for your body and your health.
