4 Most Dangerous Ingredients in Pre-Packaged Foods

Did you know 90% of the American food budget is spent on 'healthy' food, or so they think. Most foods are filled with additives and stripped of the good nutrient's our bodies needs. Read on to find out what the top 4 things are in our food are most dangerous.

Trans Fats

You'll find these in muffins, crackers even in microwave popcorn. It was once thought of as a healthy substitute for butter and lard. But now, a Hardford nutritional expert is now saying Trans fats is one of the biggest food disasters in our time. Studies have now shown that Trans fats are almost twice as deadly the saturated fats, causing about 30,000 to 100,000 heart-related deaths a year.

The reason Trans fat are worse is that they increase the level of 'bad' cholesterol, and the levels of artery clogging lipoprotein and triglycerides. Trans fats should be listed on the food labels. The higher up 'hydrogenated oil is in the list, the more likely trans fats there are in the food.

Refined Grain

Eating refined grains like white bread, rolls, white rice instead of whole grains can up your chances of a heart attack by 30%. Deceptive labels with 'wheat flour' or 'seven grain' are the same as the old refined stuff that will give you higher levels of bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, belly fat and increases the risk of heart trouble.

There have been major studies done, to show people who eat more whole grains have 20 to 30% heart problems, than those who eat refined grains.

Read the food levels next time you go shopping. Whole grain or oats should be high in the list. The fiber content should be at least 3 grams for each serving.

High Frutose Corn Syrup

This is a sweetener. We take in about 63 pounds of it per person, per year in sweets and drinks. This is also in many of the frozen foods, and other foods like white bread and whole-wheat breads, hamburger buns and English muffins, beer and spaghetti sauce.

Recent studies are showing that this sweetener can upset the metabolism of the body and raise the risk of heart problems.
. Studies also say that high-fructose corn syrup's chemical structure encourages overeating. It also seems to make the liver pump more heart-threatening triglycerides into the bloodstream. In addition, fructose may zap your body's reserves of chromium, a mineral important for healthy levels of cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar.

To find fructose on food labels, look for corn sweetener, corn syrup, or corn syrup solids as well as "high-fructose corn syrup.

Salt

Even though some salt is good for us, we often get too much. And most of what we do get doesn't even come from the salt-shaker. Salt is often hidden in, or is in foods naturally. Foods like the deli turkey, canned veggies and soups. Also in condiments like soy sauce and steak sauces.

The good salt comes naturally in foods like ham, bacon, even milk and beets. The good salt helps to regulate the blood pressure and heart. Sodium even helps to keep 3 of the senses working as they should, touch, smell and taste. You need a little of the good salt/sodium every day for the essentials of life.

You should limit the intake of sodium to about ¾ of a teaspoon, which is about 1500 mg of salt. Table salt is 40% sodium, and 60% chloride. People over 50 should only take in 1300 mg, and elderly people only 1200 mg of sodium.

Check the labels on food for sodium content, if it says 'sodium-free'....it's probably not, food can still have about 5 mg per serving. Reduced sodium means it's only 25% less than usual. Light sodium is half of what you usually find.