On a mission to help you understand exactly what’s in your food, and why it’s bad, the researchers at Eat This, Not That! Put together this definitive list of The 75 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet— along with healthy swaps for each, so you can still enjoy your favorite foods without sacrifice. Read on to discover the best and worst—and discover which sodas made our essential list of The 70 Worst Sodas on the Planet—Ranked By How Toxic They Are.
As for the “Butter Flavored Topping,” well, that’s not butter either. “Your movie theater butter has no butter in it,” Ballis writes, “but it does have partially hydrogenated soybean oil (aka trans fats), beta carotene (a coloring, makes carrots orange), tertiary Butylhydroquinone or TBHQ (synthetic preservative that keeps the color and texture from changing as the product sits), polydimethylsiloxane (silicone based chemical that prevents foaming), and, wait for it, buttery flavoring. They do not say what exactly makes a buttery flavoring, but they do admit that it isn’t butter. So it is some sort of chemical that mimics butter.”
You can probably believe it’s not butter, because real butter is not usually a bright-yellow oil that comes out of a pump dispenser. And if it were real melted butter, it would start to solidify as the popcorn cools off. Butter Flavored Topping doesn’t solidify; it’s just as slick and yellow on the bottom of the bag as it is when it’s first pumped out at the concession stand. Really, the signs were all there.
The good news is that it is possible to get the movie theater popcorn experience without eating six tablespoons of Butter Flavored Topping. Learn how to make movie theater-style popcorn at home with real butter.
Health Effects of Toxins
‘Recent studies show that levels of harmful chemicals indoors are on average 3 to 5 times, but as much as 1000 times higher than levels outdoors, even in the most polluted areas of the country.’
-Scientific American
Our bodies absorb toxins either through the skin, by swallowing or by breathing them in. Different chemicals and different degrees of exposure produce different effects on the body. These effects can range from acute poisoning through to chronic, long-term or delayed effects. Acute effects occur when someone absorbs or swallows or inhales a poisonous substance such as kerosene, or bleach. Acute poisoning is very obvious with symptoms occurring almost immediately. Sometimes the effects of the toxins are less obvious and result in symptoms such as skin rashes, headaches and breathing difficulties. These symptoms may be short lived or chronic. They may recur when the person comes in contact with the chemical again – often more severe with repeated contact. Some chemicals accumulate in our body.
Chronic effects of toxic household cleaning products are often quite subtle and difficult to link to the chemical exposure. Symptoms may include migraine, depression, giddiness, nausea, or high blood pressure.
Long-term or delayed health effects of household products tend to fall under three categories: carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer. A carcinogenic material is one that is known to cause cancer. A known human carcinogen means that there is sufficient evidence of a cause and effect relationship between exposure to the material and cancer in humans. Carcinogens cause cancer by altering or damaging cell DNA. The DNA damage can then lead to the uncontrolled cell growth that is known as cancer.
There are a number of carcinogens in common household products. We do not need to be exposed to these chemicals. They can have potentially destructive health consequences. These substances may be in small amounts, but over time, the cumulative effect can lead to cancer.
Chemical reproductive toxins are chemicals that affect reproductive capability and include the following four general categories:
- Mutagens. Mutagens are chemicals that may cause a change in the genetic material of a cell.
- Teratogens. Teratogens are chemicals that may affect the viability or cause physical or metabolic defects in the developing embryo or foetus when a pregnant female is exposed to the chemical.
- Sterility/Infertility. Chemicals that may affect female or male fertility.
- Lactation. Chemicals that may be transferred from the mother to the baby through the breast milk and cause adverse health effects in the baby.
Fortunately there are not many reproductive toxins found in household products, but there are some. One such chemical, 2-butoxyethanol, appears in a number of spray cleaners, window cleaners and other products.
An endocrine-disruptor is a chemical, or mixture that alters the function of the endocrine system ie in its production, release, transport, metabolism, binding, action or elimination of natural hormones in the body, and consequently causes adverse health effects. These chemicals are chemically similar to human hormones and sometimes they increase their effect with unpredictable results.
Many household cleaning products we use everyday contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. One of the largest group of endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) known as nonyl phenols and their ethoxylates are in many cleaning products.
Toxic chemicals can also affect our immune system. One class of immune disorders is ‘hypersensitivity’ reactions, or allergic reactions, such as asthma, hay fever, and food allergies, some of which may be minor, others fatal. As early as 1984, the US National Toxicology Program observed that chemical damage to the immune system could result in ‘hypersensitivity or allergy’ to specific chemicals or to chemicals in general. Damage to the immune system can have far-reaching consequences for an individual, leaving him or her vulnerable to attack by bacteria and viruses, at heightened risk of cancer, and even predisposed to develop HIV/AIDS.
How Toxins Affect Our Health
What are Toxins? Toxins are anything that interferes with normal physiology and impacts bodily functions in a negative way. It comes from the food we consume, the water we drink, the products we use and even in the water we drink. It’s all around us! Endotoxins vs. Exotoxins: Endotoxins are toxic substances bound to our bacterial cell wall and are released when the bacterium ruptures. Ammonia, uric acid, lactic acid and homocysteine are a part of the endotoxin category. These substances are waste products from our cell’s normal activities. The build up of these toxins cause diseases. Gout, for example is caused by uric acid lingering in our bodies. Exotoxins are toxins secreted by a bacteria. They can cause major damage by destroying cells or disrupting normal cellular metabolism in the host that carries them. These substances are human-made toxins or chemicals that we are exposed to unknowingly or we expose ourselves to willingly. They are found in processed foods, food packaging, prescription drugs, synthetic clothes, carpets (especially synthetic wall-to-wall carpet), building materials, house paint, mattresses, vinyl shower curtains, air fresheners, household cleaning products, cosmetic and skin-care products, perfumes, consumer products (even children’s toys!), emissions from cars and trucks, car interiors and tap water. How Toxins Affect Our Health The numerous amounts of toxins that we are exposed to everyday manifests in different health problems for each of us. Some symptoms related to toxicity are allergies, headaches, low energy, depression, bowel irregularities such as constipation and diarrhea, digestive problems and skin issues.
Toxins can affect our health in many ways. Some can kill the friendly bacteria in our guts, block oxygen from binding to red blood cells, interfere with DNA synthesis, block enzymes the body needs for normal functions or block absorption of vitamins and minerals. When toxins in our tissues and cells build up faster than they can be eliminated, bioaccumulation occurs. The toxins that remain circulating in our bodies can cause irritation and damage. When toxins are accompanied by other toxins in the same environment, they can cause further damage. The body is designed to get rid of toxicity through our liver, kidneys and intestines. When these three main pathways aren’t functioning properly, toxins exits through our skin and lungs. Acne, skin rashes and chronic fatigue are just a few signs that our bodies are backed up with toxins. Since toxins are everywhere, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all toxicity from our lives. However, it is possible to reduce our exposure to toxins.
5 Ways to Reduce Your Toxic Load By Dr. Alejandro Junger
1. Eat Whole foods The major source of chemicals and toxins comes from our food. So we’ll repeat this until the cows come home: Look for whole foods free of preservatives, conservatives, and coloring agents. If available, choose chemical-free and organic varieties.
2. Find your toxic triggers Toxicity is not a new problem. Long before we added the burden of human-made chemicals to our bodies, toxic buildup could occur from eating too many of the foods that don’t work for you.
3. Use chemical-free cosmetics, body care, and cleaning products Over the last few years, this topic has been written about extensively. We now have lots of companies that are creating chemical-free products. A single toxin is often not the problem, it’s the symphony of them interacting together.
4. Filter your water Water is a major source of toxins today. A recent study showed that 41 million Americans drink water contaminated with antidepressants, hormones, heart medications, and other prescription and over-the-counter medications that have made it through the water-treatment system. Add to that the chlorine, carcinogens from industrial and agricultural waste, and you’ve got some real messy stuff.
5. Do a seasonal Cleanse. Cleansing is not an afterthought for health, it’s essential in today’s chemical-laden society. Little step we take to reduce our exposure to toxins can enhance our everyday lives through better moods, good health and overall vitality.
Effects of heavy metals on humans
There are 35 metals that are of concern for us because of residential or occupational exposure, out of which 23 are heavy metals: antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc (Mosby et al. 1996). These heavy metals are commonly found in the environment and diet. In small amounts they are required for maintaining good health but in larger amounts they can become toxic or dangerous. Heavy metal toxicity can lower energy levels and damage the functioning of the brain, lungs, kidney, liver, blood composition and other important organs.
Long-term exposure can lead to gradually progressing physical, muscular, and neurological degenerative processes that imitate diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and muscular dystrophy. Repeated long-term exposure of some metals and their compounds may even cause cancer (Jarup, 2003). The toxicity level of a few heavy metals can be just above the background concentrations that are being present naturally in the environment. Hence thorough knowledge of heavy metals is rather important for allowing to provide proper defensive measures against their excessive contact!!! https://www.ncbi.
Donna Gates is interviewed by celebrity nutritionist and fitness expert JJ Virgin to get to the bottom of gut health.
