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Kimberly Frez Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 Date 2 13 1! Revealing The Harmful Chemical Additives In Our Foods

Foo" is a necessity #or maintaining li#e$ Dating bac% to the beginning o# time humans &ere omni'ores( eating both meat an" plants$ )o"ay( being an omni'ore( herbi'ore( or e'en carni'ore has become a personal choice$ )hrough the #oo"s that &e eat( &e get the nutrients an" energy that &e nee" to li'e out our "ays$ *ur "epen"ency on #oo" is crucial$ Each an" e'ery one o# our bo"ies is a temple an" it shoul" be a priority to ta%e care o# them$ +o& &e "epen" on other people to ma%e many o# our #oo"s$ Consumers go to grocery stores an" restaurants to purchase #oo" that has alrea"y been ma"e( or( ingre"ients to ma%e a meal at a later time$ ,gain( these #oo"s &e inta%e are suppose" to gi'e us the nutrients an" energy to be healthy people but it-s time to realize that many o# the #oo"s &e are eating are hurting us rather than bene#iting us$ .o& o#ten &hen purchasing #oo"s "o &e ta%e the time an" rea" the nutrition labels to un"erstan" &hat it is that &e are consuming in our bo"ies/ In most processe" #oo"s that &e eat( but not solely processe" #oo"s( the #oo"s contain harm#ul chemical a""iti'es: mercury( trans0#ats( an" olestra being some o# them$ +ot all chemical a""iti'es cause "etrimental long0term e##ects to the bo"y but many "o$ It is important to e"ucate consumers so that they may be smarter shoppers &hen it comes time to choosing &hat they are eating an" this &ill ha'e #or a healthier 1nite" 2tates$

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Mercury is an a""iti'e that has been #oun" in #ish$ 3hen loo%ing at a perio"ic table( mercury( .g( is locate" in the transition metal section &ith it-s atomic mass appro4imately 200$56 signi#ying that it is a hea'y metal$ )his naturally occurring metal is one that can be neither create" nor "estroye" emphasizing the natural in naturally occurring$ It is unsa#e to come in contact &ith any amount o# mercury7 &hich is &hy to humans( mercury is a to4in$ ,ccor"ing to Earth)al% o# Scientific American: 8.uman in"ustrial acti'ity 9such as coal0#ire" electricity generation( smelting an" the incineration o# &aste: ratchets up the amount o# airborne mercury &hich e'entually #in"s its &ay into la%es( ri'ers an" the ocean( &here it is gobble" up by unsuspecting #ish an" other marine li#e$; 3hen &e consume these #ish &e are allo&ing mercury to enter our bo"ies &here it can ne'er be "estroye"$ I# consume" &hile carrying a chil" the chil" has a greater chance o# being born &ith birth "e#ects$ Mercury is also consi"ere" a carcinogen( an" also causes methylmercury to4icity( also %no&n as Minamata "isease$ 9Mercury$utah$go': ,nother harm#ul a""iti'e is trans #at$ )hese are #oun" on nutrition labels as trans #at( or partially hy"rogenate" oils$ , trans #at is #orme" &hen more hy"rogen atoms are a""e" to a compoun" an" use the hea'y metal platinum as a catalyst$ <latinum( =ust as mercury( is #oun" in the transition metal section o# the <erio"ic )able$ 1sing platinum as a catalyst shoul" alert all consumers because =e&elry an" many other not "igestible things are ma"e out o# platinum( an" also li%e mercury( cannot be "estroye" #rom the bo"y$ )rans #ats harm to the bo"y &or%s as a "omino e##ect$ , person consumes #oo" &ith trans #ats7 the trans #at a##ects your cholesterol( &hich then lea"s to a heart attac%( or stro%e( or e'en atherosclerosis$ ,ccor"ing to the American Heart Association: the trans #at a##ects your cholesterol by raising the lo&0"ensity lipoprotein(

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>D> your ba" cholesterol( an" lo&ers your goo" cholesterol( .D>( high0"ensity lipoprotein$ )he >D> &or%s by buil"ing up insi"e the inner &alls o# your arteries$ Ma=or arteries lea" to the heart an" brain( an" a bloc%age in those arteries lea"s to heart attac%s( stro%es( an" or atherosclerosis$ .D>-s =ob is to slo& "o&n that buil" up but &ith less .D> than >D> it ma%es things "i##icult causing the health problems$ 2omething that shoul" really shoc% consumers is the rule set by the 1$2$ Foo" an" Drug ,"ministration 9FD,:( 8 Trans #at content must be e4presse" as grams per ser'ing to the nearest 0$50gram increment belo& 5 grams an" to the nearest gram abo'e 5 grams$ I# a ser'ing contains less than 0$5 gram( the content( &hen "eclare"( must be e4presse" as ?0 g$?; 3hen rea"ing the rule it speci#ically says a serving$ @ust one ser'ing is har"ly e'er consume" an" i# the #oo" still ha" trans #at in it( consuming more than one ser'ing &oul" ma%e the amount o# trans #at consume" larger as &ell$ *lestra is another chemical a""iti'e$ <AB "isco'ere" *lestra acci"entally( an" ga'e it its- bran" name( *lean$ 3hen *lestra &as "isco'ere" it &as a scienti#ic success because it &as something that &as easily "igeste" by in#ants$ )o top it being easily "igeste"( *lestra contains no #ats( calories( or cholesterol$ 1ltimately *lestra is a #at substitute$ ,lthough its se'erity is not li%e mercury-s an" trans #at *lestra causes ab"ominal cramping( loose bo&l mo'ements( an" &eight gain$ )he biggest concern o# *lestra is that it "oes not allo& the bo"y to absorb nutrients an" 'itamins$ +e& ne&s has sho&n that *lestra can be also #oun" in paints an" lubricants$ *n ,CC +E32- ne&s report +ot 2o 9*:>ean: Eating Fau4 Fat Ma%es Dats Deal Fat 2usan 2&ithers( psychology pro#essor at <ur"ue 1ni'ersity sai"(; ?3hen &e get cues that something is #atty( but no calories arri'e 00 li%e &ith #at substitutes 00 our bo"y gets con#use"$? Cy consuming

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*lestra the bo"y is not able to pre#orm normal bo"ily #unctions correctly( &hich essentially lea"s to many problems$ Mercury( trans #ats( an" olestra are some o# the harm#ul chemical a""iti'es in our #oo"s but are not all o# them$ )he amount o# unhealthy #oo" that &e consume is high an" the health o# e'eryone consuming these #oo"s is going lo&$ , healthier li#estyle can al&ays be implemente" an" &ill bene#it the bo"y$ Eour bo"y is a temple an" it-s up to you to ta%e care o# it$ It is important that &e ac%no&le"ge issues such as these an" e"ucate the public$ ,lthough a bag o# chips or a slice o# pie may be eaten &ithout thin%ing about things( these #oo"s are some o# the main reasons &hy &e ha'e so many patients in the hospital$ Kno&ing ho& to a'oi" these #oo"s &ill help in the long run$ Foo" is a necessity #or maintaining li#e$ It-s time to realize that many o# the #oo"s &e are eating are hurting us rather than bene#iting us$

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3or%s Cite"

Daniel 2$( @ones$ CHEM 1204 Supplementary Notes$ +$p$: n$p$( n$"$ 1!$ <rint$ ?Boo" 's$ Ca" Cholesterol$? American Heart Association$ ,merican .eart ,ssociation( n$"$ 3eb$ 11 Feb$ 201!$ ?Bui"ance #or In"ustry: )rans Fatty ,ci"s in +utrition >abeling( +utrient Content Claims( .ealth Claims7 2mall Entity Compliance Bui"e$? U.S. Foo an !ru" A ministration$ 1$2$ Foo" an" Drug ,"ministration( ,ug$ 2003$ 3eb$ 10 Feb$ 201!$ .utchison( Courtney( an" ,bc +e&s Me"ical 1nit$ ?+ot 2o 9*:>ean: Eating Fau4 Fat Ma%es Dats Deal Fat$? A#C Ne$s$ ,CC +e&s +et&or%( 21 @une 2011$ 3eb$ 12 Feb$ 201!$
?Mercury$utah$go' F Mercury )o4icity$? Mercury.uta%."o& ' Mercury To(icity$ 1tah Department o# En'iromental Guality( n$"$ 3eb$ 10 Feb$ 201!$

?*lestra$? )i*ipe ia$ 3i%ime"ia Foun"ation( 02 *ct$ 201!$ 3eb$ 12 Feb$ 201!$ <helan( @ay$ ?Chapter 2 2ection 2$13$? )%at +s ,ife-. A /ui e to #iolo"y$ +e& Eor%: 3$ .$ Freeman A( 2010$ H0$ <rint$
2cheer( Do""y$ ?.o& Does Mercury Bet Into Fish/? Scientific American /lo0al 1SS$ E"$ Doug Moss$ E 0 )he En'ironmental Magazine( 30 Dec$ 2011$ 3eb$ 10 Feb$ 201!$ ?2outh Carolina Department o# .ealth an" En'ironmental Control$? SC!HEC. E2C A ministration$ 2outh Carolina Department o# .ealth an" En'ironmental Control( n$"$ 3eb$ 10 Feb$ 201!$ ?3hat Eou +ee" to Kno& about Mercury in Fish an" 2hell#ish$? Unite States En&ironmental 3rotection A"ency$ 1nite" 2tates En'ironmental <rotection ,gency( n$"$ 3eb$ 10 Feb$ 201!$