A Case for Feeding Our Children Real Food
By Toby Helmstetter, LAc
Ok, folks, I’m not the kind of person who gets on a soapbox. Sure, I have an opinion or two about health, but I try real hard not to push my ideals onto others, especially not my patients. But the topic of kids and nutrition is really kind of important and as more and more studies are being done, it would seem that the health of our children is intricately connected to what they’re being fed. So in this article I’d like to open the discussion on how to lessen the toxic burden on your children to give them the gift of better health. One way to do this is by avoiding chemical food additives. And, in actuality, it’s a pretty easy way to help them. All you have to do is start reading labels.
Before we talk about what to avoid, let’s talk about why our children should avoid these chemical additives. These “factory-made foods” are used for several purposes, most of which add nothing nutritious to the foods they’re in. They are used as caking-agents, thickeners, fat-reducers, flavor and color-enhancers and preservatives. They keep food from going rancid (a good thing) but they also tend to create toxic chemical reactions in our bodies. They are usually found in foods with the lowest nutritional value—packaged meals, snack foods, candy and packaged desserts, but they’re also found in things like lunch meats, salad dressings, baked goods and, sadly, restaurant meals. And over time they have been linked to conditions like cancer, heart disease and even attention deficit disorder. Of course, the FDA and other organizations across the world test these chemicals for safety, but their concept of what’s safe is based on the average adult intake, neglecting the fact that many children are consuming these chemicals almost daily. They are studied to make sure they don’t cause any immediate conditions, like organ or nerve damage, but they are not checked for their effects on things like behavior and learning. And the fact of the matter is, many of these chemicals are consumed over a long period of time, making their effects cumulative; and they are most often always are consumed in combination with each other, the effects of which are also unknown.
Following is a list of some of the most odious chemicals found in many common foods. Your job as a consumer is to familiarize yourself with these chemicals, then look closely at whether some of the foods your children are eating (at least on your watch!) contain them. And don’t be taken by slick advertising; just because a product says “Natural” on it, doesn’t mean that it is. Many foods these days tout that they contain “whole grain” or “natural” ingredients, but they may also contain some of the additives below, negating many of the food’s good qualities. The only way to know whether a food contains additives is to read the label closely.
Artificial Colorings – These have actually been linked as a contributing factor to ADD and ADHD. They are also questionable in terms of their toxicity and whether or not they may be carcinogenic (cancer-causing). They are listed in ingredient lists as “artificial colors” or sometimes even “yellow #5” or other colors.
BHA or BHT – this is a preservative. It’s commonly found in oil-containing foods like chips and snack foods like cheetos or chex mix. It is used to extend a food’s shelf life but it is considered to be a carcinogen by the World Health Organization.
Hormones – You won’t find these on any ingredient lists but by now you’ve probably heard a thing or two about them. They’re in our meat and dairy products by way of the cows, chickens and pigs that are given hormones in many conventional feed lots and factory farms. They are dangerous because they may increase our risk of hormone-related diseases like cancer and are thought to contribute to pre-mature menstruation and gonadal development in children. You can avoid these by buying dairy products that say on the packaging “Made from cows not treated with RBGH.” That’s Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone. Also, ask your butcher whether the meat they carry is hormone-free. Some supermarkets carry a small supply, and others, like Whole Foods or Weaver Street Market, only carry hormone-free.
Monosodium Glutamate – No surprise here; many people have sensitivities to MSG, experiencing nausea, vomiting, headaches and other uncomfortable symptoms. The surprise with MSG is that it is also known as Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein. Now read the back of your chip bag, granola bars, salad dressing bottle…it’s probably in there, too. This one is pretty insidious and has no nutritional use—it enhances the food’s flavor but often makes people sick.
Potassium Bromate – You see the word “potassium” and think it’s harmless but this preservative is banned everywhere in the world except Japan and the United States. It is used to increase the volume of baked goods, flour and rolls but it is known to cause cancer in animals. The concern is that even small amounts in bread can create a risk for humans. California requires a cancer warning on the product label if potassium bromate is an ingredient.
Sugar Substitutes – I’m putting these together, of which there are several different kinds. These are particularly heinous because they have names which many of us are unfamiliar with, they are found in many foods that advertise themselves as “sugar-free” or “no sugar added” and they are dangerous. They have the same effects on our blood sugar (think: diabetes), they cause tooth decay, contribute to obesity and behavioral problems and some of them are known to cause cancer. Look for them in juice, snacks of any kind, chewing gum, salad dressings, sodas, sugar-free ice-creams and desserts, coffee sweeteners and even dog food! Really, they could be anywhere. They’re listed on ingredient lists as: Acesulfame-K, aspartame, saccharine, levulose, invert sugar, maltodextrin, mannitol, sorbitol and don’t forget corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
What’s a parent to do? By now you’re probably ready to scour your pantry for additive-containing foods to see whether what you’re buying is safe or not. If you’re overwhelmed, you’re not alone. When I talk to patients and parents about these foods, the question of how to transition into something healthier always comes up. As a working parent myself, I understand the need for convenience, cost-effectiveness and a child’s preference—these are choices I too have to make every day. My advice is to start slowly and work your way towards feeding your children real food. If they’re used to their ‘Lunchables’ every day, start substituting nitrate-free, hormone-free cold-cuts and work your way up to a home-made roast turkey breast cut up for sandwiches. Offer fruits with slices of cheese or nuts; cut up veggies and make a home-made dip. Make your own baked “French fries.” Get young children involved by inspiring them to help cook, make their own granola bars, and create home-made snacks that they want to eat. When we’re talking about cost, you’ll be surprised at how feeding children real food actually costs the same, if not less than packaged foods. Finally, have an honest conversation with everyone in the family about the changes you want to make. It may be hard at first to get kids away from chips, cheetos and ‘chips ahoy’, but it’s in the best interest of the health of the whole family to do so.