When it comes to having a healthy relationship with food and eating, it’s important to realize that there are no general “good” or “bad” foods, and restrictive and deprivation mindsets toward food are never ideal. However, there are some ingredients that have been shown to cause health problemsand due to the unique and complex biological makeup of a woman, some should be of greater concern to women than men.
Focusing on foods to eat versus foods not to eat is often seen as a more positive approach to health. “To include more nutritious food into everyday patterns, change the way you prepare the foods you enjoy to ensure they’re as close to the desired state as possible,” says dietitian jaclyn london. “Think potatoes versus French fries; oranges versus orange juice; whole grains versus refined white grains.” You can also pay attention to our list of 50 foods you should eat to take better care of your body.
But since education is also key while making healthy eating choices, here are five toxic ingredients you may not know are lurking in some common foods that have been linked to health problems for women.
Bovine growth hormone, commonly known as rGBH, was freely used by dairy farmers to boost milk production for decades and is related to breast cancer in women. The toxic ingredient is banned in 17 countries, but the United States is not one of them. Many dairy manufacturers have stopped using the ingredient, but not all have. To avoid this, your best bet is to check the labels on your yogurt, cheese, and milk to see if there is a label that says “rBGH-free.” Keep in mind that manufacturers aren’t required to list rBGH on their product labels, but many brands choose to identify that they don’t use milk that contains the harmful hormone.
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“When we consume added sugar in excess of what we need over a period of time, the pancreas secretes the hormone insulin, which can cause a number of symptoms,” says London. Added sugar is known to be one of the major contributors to obesityand is a great contributor to heart diseasewhich of course is the number one killer of women.
While the added sugars in all of our foods are a problem, London focuses on the ones we drink as the most problematic. “Added sugars in beverage form provide no nutritional benefit, meaning they only provide calories but do not promote feelings of fullness. They are also the number one source of added sugar in the American diet,” she shares.
BVO is used in sports drinks, soft drinks, and some cocktail mixers (mainly citrus-flavored varieties) to prevent flavor separation, but the chemical is linked to a number of health problems, such as increased risk of cancer, memory loss and acne. It is also known to displace iodine, which can lead to iodine deficiency, which in turn can cause ovarian and breast cancer in women.
Studies also show that BVO can accumulate in tissue over time, which can cause reproductive problems for women. Fortunately, in recent years, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have removed BVO from their beverages, but it can still be found in many other beverages on supermarket shelves.
This is not so much an ingredient as a contaminant found in food, but we know that mercury can seriously harm the developing brain and nervous system of the fetus, making it very dangerous for pregnant or lactating women. However, since unplanned pregnancies occur regularly, the The FDA actually recommends that all women of childbearing age avoid the four types of fish that contain the highest levels of mercury: swordfish, mackerel, shark, and tilefish.
This may be a surprise. Of course, you’ll find it hard not to know that parabens are a huge risk to women’s health, as they are known to alter hormone function and are linked to fertility problems and risk of breast cancer. But even though they are usually found in cosmetics, fewer of us are aware of parabens in food.
Just as they’re used as preservatives to prevent bacteria and mold in our beauty and personal care products, you’ll find them in food products for the same reasons. Parabens can be found in everything from coffee, juice, ice cream, bread, pizza, cold cuts, canned fruit, condiments, jellies, and sauces. Your best bet to avoid them? Read those labels and look methyl, ethyl, propyland additives that have the letter ‘E’ and a number in the name (such as E218 or E214).
Emily L. Foley
Emily L. Foley is a freelance journalist with more than a decade of experience covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and lifestyle, and her work appears in magazines such as Allure, Glamour, Marie Claire, US Weekly, and Instyle.com. read more
