Stocking your refrigerator with veggies, salmon, or calcium-rich milk, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re on your way to a long, healthy life. (Although, that’s an excellent start!) Even the healthiest foods can have hidden dangers such as bacteria, toxins, or growth hormones, which are known to increase the risk of cancer or illness. But here knowledge is power. You can easily sidestep nutrition pitfalls by knowing the following food toxins and how to avoid them.
Toxin #1: E. Coli and Salmonella Bacteria
Where It’s Found: Pre-Cut and Pre-Bagged Vegetables
You might remember the massive spinach re-call in 2007 after instances of salmonella, the most-common foodborne bacteria, infected pre-bagged spinach. And all those people affected thought they were ingesting a super food instead of a super bug! The fact is the more vegetables are handled, the more likely that they have come into contact with common food borne pathogens. Though the vegetables have been washed before they are packaged, the Food and Drug Administration recommends washing all vegetables (both pre-cut and not) before consumption. Another factor to consider is surface area. Pre-cut vegetables have been sitting for longer periods of time with greater surface areas, meaning more places for bacteria to cling to. Consider forgoing the convenience of pre-packaged vegetables and going for whole versions instead. What you give up in time and convenience, you make up for in making sure your veggies are cleaner. Plus whole vegetables are cheaper too!Everything You Need to Cook and Serve Food Like a Pro!
Toxin #2: Bisphenol-A (BPA)
Where It’s Found: Canned Foods
BPA is synthetic estrogen that disrupts the endocrine system and is associated with increased obesity and adverse effects in male and female reproductive systems. This nasty toxin is an integral ingredient in plastics (like food storage containers, sippy cups, and bottled drinks) and tin cans, which in turn gets absorbed into the food contained in these common vessels. According to Environmental Working Group, which tested the doses of BPA contamination in tin cans, people who consumed canned foods ingested levels of BPA that were comparable to those that harmed laboratory animals. To protect yourself from exposure, buy food in glass jars or research individual companies to learn whether or not they use BPA in their cans. Eden Foods and EcoFish, for instance, do not use BPA to line their cans, according to OrganicGrace.com.
4 Dangers That Make Even Healthy Foods Toxic
