Why Reading Food Labels is Essential for Your Health

Reading food labels is not just about calories, fat, or sugar — it's also crucial to pay attention to chemicals and additives that may negatively impact your health. Many processed and packaged foods contain ingredients that are added to preserve shelf life, enhance flavor or color, or improve texture — but some of these can have harmful effects, especially when consumed regularly or in large amounts.

Here's a deeper look into why this matters and which additives to watch out for:

• Artificial Sweeteners - Aspartame, Sucralose (Splenda), Saccharin -- Linked to headaches, digestive issues, and potentially negative effects on gut bacteria and metabolic health. Your health starts in your gut.

• Artificial Food Dyes - Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 -- Linked to hyperactivity in children, potential allergic reactions, and some dyes (Red 3) have been linked to cancer in animal studies.

• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) -- Used as a flavor enhancer. Some people have sensitivity to MSG, including headaches, sweating, and flushing). It is overused in processed foods. You will often find it in instant noodles, frozen dinners, flavored chips or takeout.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) -- This is added to most processed foods as a sweetener. This is directly linked to obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and diabetes. It is often added to processed foods even when not needed. You will find this in most soda, ketchup, salad dressings, snacks, and baked goods.

• Preservatives -- Sodium nitrite/nitrate, BHA (Butylated hydroxy anisole), BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene), and Propyl gallate. Some of these are potential carcinogens and linked to hormonal disruption and allergic reactions.

• Carrageenan - This is used in products to thicken and added as a stabilizer in dairy and on-dairy products. This additive should be avoided. It may trigger inflammation (which is at the root of most diseases). This additive is also know to cause digestive issues, and worsen symptoms of IBS. You will find this additive in almond milks, yogurts and ice cream.

• Emulsifiers -- Also known as Polysorbate 80 and Carboxymethylcellulose. Those Starbucks iced green lattes contain emulsifiers to give it that creamy texture. There is more emerging research to show that emulsifiers may disrupt gut microbiota and promote inflammation. Other places where you might find emulsifiers are cream salad dressings, ice cream, and processed sauces.

• Potassium Bromate - This is used in baking products to strength the dough. This additive is classified as a potential carcinogen and banned in many countries, but it is not banned in the US. You will find this in some commercial breads and baked goods.

So why does reading the labels for these ingredients matter? Being aware of additives and chemicals in food labels allows you to protect your overall health, reduce exposure to potentially harmful substances, support gut and metabolic health, and make more natural, nutrient-rich choices for you and your family.

It is not about perfection - but building awareness and making smarter everyday decisions of what you put in your body. It will make a huge difference over time. Be patient with yourself.