Cons of Chemical Food Preservatives

Chemical food preservatives are added to foods to extend their shelf-life and maintain their appearance. While the Center for Science in the Public Interest concedes that many are safe for consumption, some have been shown to produce harmful effects on health. The organization maintains that a high intake of certain additives has been associated with a heightened risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

Circulatory Health

• Sodium is perhaps the most widely used food preservative. Food manufacturers, chefs and home cooks use it in the preparation of nearly everything we eat and drink. In addition to imparting a salty flavor to foods, sodium is also added to delay spoilage. While this popular additive has been traditionally used in the form of natural salt, long-term consumption of it can wreak havoc on the body. Sodium boosts blood pressure, and chronically high blood pressure can contribute to kidney damage. Moreover, high blood pressure increases the risk of fatal conditions, like strokes, heart attacks and heart diseases. Compared to foods that are made with fresh and unrefined ingredients, processed foods have a higher sodium content and are considered more hazardous to your health. The daily recommended allowance of sodium is 2,400 milligrams, which is equivalent to 1 tsp. of table salt. Fast food items commonly contain more than half the daily allowance. Take, for instance, McDonald's Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT combo. According to informational health website DietsinReview.com, the fast food item packs 1,785 milligrams of sodium. Anyone who reduces her intake of sodium can prevent or alleviate high blood pressure and, even, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Cancer

• Perhaps the gravest downside to using chemical preservatives is their carcinogenic effects. A derivative of sodium, nitrate is a common food additive that is used to enhance the stability of processed meats, like cold cuts, hot dogs and bacon. Nitrates allow these meats to retain their appealing reddish color, because without it, they would turn gray. Food producers defend their use of nitrates as an agent, because it inhibits bacterial growth and extends shelf-life. But, AskMen.com Diet and Fitness contributor Sabrina Rogers reports that nitrates have been shown to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines in the intestines during the digestive process. And, despite their purported antimicrobial properties, modern refrigeration methods are considered to be just as effective in maintaining meat as nitrates. Rogers also cites butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as chemical food preservatives that have been linked to cancer. Both BHA and BHT are regularly used to prevent fats and oils from going rancid; they can be found in products like potato chips, cereals and chewing gum. Since BHA and BHT are not essential additives and they are easily replaced with a natural counterpart, like vitamin E, foods that contain them should be avoided all together.

Diabetes

• Like salt, sugar is a popular flavor enhancer that is also an age-old food preservative. It has spawned numerous additives that are used to preserve the desirable appearance, taste and texture of food products. Food and nutrition specialist Georgia C. Lauritzen explains that sugar takes many forms as a chemical preservative. Corn syrup and sucrose are a prevalent preservative in canned products, while processed foods typically contain additives like fructose, dextrose, lactose, levulose and maltose. A regular, high intake of these chemically refined sugars can create dysfunctional patterns in blood sugar levels and lead to insulin resistance. As a result, high sugar consumption is considered a major risk factor for type-2 diabetes. Avoidance of sugar and the chemical food preservatives that originate from it will minimize one's risk of developing diabetes. Limiting sugar consumption has also been known to relieve the symptoms of type-2 diabetes.