Health Risks Posed by Preservatives Present in Processed Food

Food additives are used in processed food because of the following: 1) to keep the consistency of a certain product, for instance, to prevent it from separating, to keep its even texture, to assist salt to freely pour; 2) to keep the product’s nutritional value; 3) to keep the food’s delectableness, for instance, to prevent it from getting spoiled; 4) to regulate acidity or alkalinity level in the product; and 5) to improve the color and flavor of the product (Benivia.. , 2006). There may be a number of advantages for food additives on processed food; however, there are numerous disadvantages that go along with it as well (The.. 2006). These disadvantages include the following:1) some bring about cancer; 2) some may cause allergic reactions; 3) some may pose hazard to those individuals who are pregnant, those with certain sicknesses like hypertension and kidney trouble, as well as, those who are only between 1 and 12 months old; 4) etc. (The.. ,2006). That being said, a ny researcher will only be left with the question, â€Å"How do I deal with the health risks posed by food additives present in many processed food? There are several things that can be carried out including the following: 1) as much as possible, avoid purchasing and eating processed food by consuming only organic/freshly picked ones, setting up one’s own garden, etc;2) if too busy to purchase organic/fresh food everyday, then read the labels of the processed food, do a little research and check if such are safe, tested not only in animals but humans, as well; 3) read â€Å"health† updates, typically, the â€Å"Food and Drug Administration† issues advisory on food additives proven to be hazardous to one’s health; 4) familiarize oneself with the most common food additives that have been positively associated with negative effects, for example, remember that intake of nitrites results in nausea, or that natural flavors may have free glutamates that may rui n the nervous system, etc; last but not least 5) include antioxidants in the daily diet, since such fights off and releases free radicals in the body which include the preservatives or food additives mentioned (The.. ,2006).