Anti-Aging Advice: 99 Steps to 100 by Walter M. Bortz, M.D.

For centuries, people have been messing around with your food. They have tried to preserve it, sterilize it, make it tastier, give it a different color. The widespread use of food additives can make you wonder how we survived without them. While some say that food is even better for you because of enrichment with vitamins, minerals, or fiber, the dissenters suggest shopping in the outer rims of the supermarket, to guard against the inner aisles where the processed foods containing most artificial ingredients are displayed. Indeed, the increased incorporation of additives and processed foods into the diet has led some to near hysteria about their use. As a result, "natural foods" are a growth industry.

Are additives safe? The answer, for the most part, is yes. However, without question a substantial number of people are simply allergic to one or more of the added chemicals. Asthma, hives, and other allergic symptoms may follow a meal laced with food colorings or preservatives or taste enhancers. Most notable of these compounds is monosodium glutamate, or MSG, which is the cause of the so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome (because of the high use of MSG in Chinese dishes). Fortunately, these excess reactions, such as headaches and facial burning, are relatively rare. Other additives are suspected to increase the oxidants--or the carcinogen, hormone, or antibiotic content--in food. What mischief lurks in all of these compounds produced by the chemistry labs of the food industry, whose number one priority is profit?

When you calculate the tons and tons of additives that go into our nation's bellies, it is extraordinary that so few problems seem to have arisen. The most commonly used additives are the sweeteners, produced and consumed seemingly by the tankerload. The diet drink industry is dependent on aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) and saccharine, two compounds that are two to four hundred times sweeter than sugar. The diets of millions of diabetics have been broadened because of the availability of these substances, which are safe. It is true that a study showed that bladder cancer occurred in rats when they were fed the equivalent of 850 cans of soft drinks per day, but overall the safety record seems very high.

Caffeine and other Additives
Caffeine is a common additive as well, often added to soft drinks. Not generally recognized, however, is the fact that non-cola drinks may also have added caffeine. Caffeine is mildly addictive and may lead to upper sensations of restlessness, rapid heart beat, and insomnia. Both pregnant women and those with bumpy hearts should avoid caffeinated products.

The most dangerous food additive is bacteria that inadvertently contaminates food during storage or preparation. Several watchwords exist about these organisms:

• Don't buy foods in damaged wrappers.
• Eat hot foods hot.
• Eat cold foods cold.
• Eat all foods in a as fresh a form as possible.
• Don't overbuy.
• Watch for expiration dates.

Bottom line:
It is inevitable that your food will go through various steps between its original source and the form it's in when it reaches your stomach. Be vigilant about which steps those are.

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