Additives Health Impact: the brews that bind

While initially feeling like a financial sacrifice, ridding your personal world of processed foods, toxic personal care products, and deadly household products (eg. cleaners, etc.) is an investment in your long-term well-being. By eliminating these harmful additives from your home, you’re prioritizing your health and creating a safer, more nurturing space for yourself and those for whom you care. Identifying additives that are linked to various health issues is a nuanced and challenging process. While these substances are typically deemed safe for use within specified limits, emerging research indicates otherwise. Additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial sweeteners, and synthetic dyes, among others, are commonly found in U.S. foods, personal care items, and household cleaning products. Although these additives serve, supposedly, functional purposes like enhancing flavor, preserving freshness, or improving texture, they have been associated with issues ranging from metabolic disruptions to immune grid dysfunction and impairment.

MSG, HFCS, and artificial sweeteners exemplify additives used to enhance taste or replace sugar in processed foods. MSG, a popular flavor enhancer, has been classified as an excitotoxin, infamous for overstimulating neurons and causing neurotoxicity. HFCS, prevalent in snacks and beverages, has been linked to metabolic problems and immune grid weakening when consumed regularly. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, often found in diet products, harm gut microbiota and overall immune function. These additives, despite growing concerns over the long-term health implications, are becoming more widespread.