Rant about product ingredients

[d_flawless]

Feel free to move this if i'm in the wrong forum...
i just have to rant about ingredients that are added to products that people have been complaining about lately...for example, a day doesn't pass by at work where someone asks me about parabens, and why they're added to our products. from my understanding, they're added to preserve ingredients needed for the effectiveness of the product, but from what people have told me, they've been linked to causing cancer. supposedly, birth control, deodorant, wearing a bra to bed, etc. have been said carcinogens as well. what's the deal? i mean, granted there aren't any studies proving YES they are cancer-causing, or NO they aren't cancer-causing, but aren't some of these just old wives tales, or do ingredients like parabens/aluminum laureth sulfate/etc. REALLY affect a human body?
please someone enlighten me, because i can't keep standing around ignorant, and i want to be able to tell people the facts...TIA

 

[Shimmer]

oooooo I kinda wanna know too!

 

[martygreene]

Here's what the FDA and CFSAN have to say about them: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-para.html

CTFA on parabens and antipersperants: http://www.ctfa.org.nz/information/a...erspirant.html

NICNAS "Parabens in deodorants and antiperspirants linked to breast cancer": http://www.nicnas.gov.au/news/200401...eastcancer.asp

American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MED/co...p?sitearea=MED

Unilever: http://www.antiperspirantsinfo.com/

JAMA abstract on paraben allergies: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Citation

 

[Wattage]

Here's a little blurb about parabens that might help clear up why they are bad:

Parabens are added as a preservatives - you are right. Why they cause issues is because they cause our bodies to produce chemicals called xeno-estrogens. Why are xeno-estrogens bad? Xeno-estrogens are dangerous because they are linked to many forms of cancer, specifically breast cancer.

It's a long winded subject, and Martygreene (thank you) has provided some useful links.

Let me know if you can't find more information that is layterm friendly. I have a few articles on parabens and xeno-estrogens that I can scan for you.

Cheers!

 

[VeganChick]

I would rather they stop putting dairy products and anything related to sugar in practically *everything* you can buy these days. It's stupid and unhealthy. The parabens are actually less of a worry for me, because you can't succumb to cancer if you've already croaked from being severely overweight from unhealthy food additives...

 

[DaizyDeath]

i read an article about it a while ago while i was a nutritionist and from what i remember i think their used in some foods to cause them to have a longer shelf life.
And also in some products to inhibit bodys production of certain things?

i dont suggest putting any chemicals on your body which alot of body products use theirs really no reason for it.

And preety much all junk foods have major chemicals in them that if you use for a prolonged ammount of time will in some way cause bodily damage.

thats why i get sooo mad when i see parents feeding their kids junk!
its like way to teach them whats good and bad plus their just leading their kids down a really hard path with being overweight and having heart problems.

 

[sewpunk]

i read an article about it a while ago while i was a nutritionist and from what i remember i think their used in some foods to cause them to have a longer shelf life.
And also in some products to inhibit bodys production of certain things?

That chemical is MSG. We have all heard of, monosodium glutimate, and how it's in chinese food, and it's bad...

Well hell yeah, it's bad! And it is in EVERYTHING! Seriously, almost everything that comes in a can, bag or box.

Ugh, I am on a HUGE anti MSG kick right now.

here is something I copied from http://www.msgtruth.org/

"MSG tricks your tongue into making you think a certain food is high in protein and thus nutritious. It is not a "meat tenderizer". It is not a "preservative". The food industry is trying to confuse the issue by focusing on the "fifth" taste sense they call umami. Free glutamic acid is detected by the taste buds as a simple way to signal the presence of protein in a food, just as there are fat receptors to detect fats and receptors that sense carbohydrate or sweet flavors. The purpose is to help us discern real food from inedible matter. It changes your perception of not simply taste but the nutritious qualities of what you put into your mouth. However, and here is the main problem with free glutamic acid - It is the very same neurotransmitter that your brain and many organs including your ears, eyes, nervous system and pancreas in your body use to initiate certain processes in your body.

MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. So many diets these days are concerned about the Glycemic Index of foods and yet none of them address the fact that MSG and free glutamic acid stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when there doesn't even have to be carbohydrates in the food for that insulin to act on. The food industry has found their own "anti-appetite suppressant". It's a convenient way to keep consumers coming back for more. The blood sugar drops because of the insulin flood. And you are hungry an hour later. Sound familiar?

The body changes excess glutamate to GABA. GABA may be addictive. It is calming and affects the same receptors in the brain as valium.

Cost. The illusion created by adding MSG to a food product enables the food processor to add LESS real food. The illusion of more protein in a food allows the food producer to put LESS protein in it. The consumer perceives the product - say chicken soup - to have more chicken in it than is actually there. Example: A well-known brand of dehydrated chicken noodle soup. Is that chicken in there, or a piece of confetti? "

Here is a list of other names MGS goes by:

Gelatin
Calcium
Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Yeast Extract
Glutamate Autolyzed Plant Protein
Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid Sodium
Caseinate Autolyzed Yeast

(All my favorite vegetarian food has ^^ those ingredients on the label!)

and more here: http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm

And another intresting article:
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/arc...98/0298AP.html

It is also being noted that a overweight/obesety, diabeties, stokes, and autism are linked with MSG. Links mind you, not causes, but MSG is now known to play a part. And what's worse, the FDA does not give a crap! Snacks and manufactured foods are HUGE business.

Food for though, huh.

Okay, I'm done.

 

[Wattage]

I am not sure what you mean when you say that MSG "goes by" these other names... the prodcuts you listed are completely different from MSG. They cannot be under another name because Monosodium Glutamate is the chemical name for this flavouring. Gelatin, calcium... these are not MSG.

Furthermore, it is VERY important to keep in mind that "studies" that link MSG with things such as obesity, diabetes and stroke often result because of the common denominator of MSG in foods that are high in fat, loaded with sodium and are typically low in nutritional value. It is important to remember that those "against" the use of MSG will find many ways to skew the information (or misinformation) to suit their study.

People think that because a study finds something that it is all black and white - when it is the furthest thing from the truth. Remember that these are researchers, often pushed by big-name, big-buck pharamceutical companies who want to market treatments for these "ailments". They also want to keep the results in their favour in order to keep the research grants flowing. Also, they are motivated by the possibility to become published. Please, I beg of you, trust me on this and always keep it in mind.

While I am not saying MSG is good for you, I am very skeptical of this inconclusive research. I have a hard time believing that MSG is the sole culprit. Saying that MSG "stimulates" the pancreas to produce more insulin is a very broad statement. Most likely, it is the highly refined food that contains the MSG that is the true culprit.

I do believe that there are people who have sensitivities to MSG, much as there are people who have sensitivities to dairy and food dyes. It is difficult to assume that this product that was mentioned in the previous post is actually MSG. There are many, many much more common preservatives added to food other than MSG.

My SO's grandfather was born and lived in Vietnam his entire life. He recently passed away at 92 years of age. They eat MSG by the pound in Vietnam. They make dips and sauces out of it. While I am not saying that MSG is not a problem, I am very skeptical of where they place the blame.

Doesn't it seem a little fishy to you that these high-fat, processed snacks point the finger at MSG? Did it ever occur to people that maybe it's the crap food itself that is the problem?

 

[sewpunk]

I agree with you wattage! I have to run, I'll be able to discuss later.