| Did you know that we each eat about ten lbs. of food | | | | Additives have a somewhat bad reputation as they |
| additives each year? Not very surprising, considering | | | | are often blamed for various food allergies. Surprisingly |
| that about 3,500 various food additives exist! Some | | | | however, most additives in fact, do not cause any |
| countries consume more additives than others, with | | | | type of allergy, although a few are known to and are |
| the United States being one of the main culprits. Some | | | | banned in a few countries. |
| of these additives are natural, though the vast majority | | | | Some additives have been linked with triggering |
| are artificially made with the intent of adding color and | | | | asthma symptoms in people, such as insecticides, |
| flavor, as well as for purposes of preserving the food. | | | | herbicides, and fungicides, which are all used to coat |
| Research suggests that high consumption of food | | | | certain foods. Some more specific additives thought to |
| additives may actually cause developmental problems | | | | trigger asthma include ethylene gas (the additive used |
| with children. In fact, some doctors believe that artificial | | | | to help speed up the ripening process in bananas) and |
| colors and preservatives cause problems such as | | | | paraffin wax (used for making fruits and vegetables |
| hyperactivity, irritability, a low attention span, and | | | | extra shiny). Monosodium glutamate, a common flavor |
| restlessness, among other things. Additional research | | | | enhancer in Chinese food and also used in meat |
| has shown that artificial coloring specifically may be | | | | tenderizer, is another culprit that is tied to asthma. |
| linked with digestion problems. | | | | |