It saves us time, but the downside of grabbing convenience food, rather than cooking from fresh, is we don't always know what we're eating. According to a report by the British Medical Journal, 60% of the average diet in the UK is made up of ultra-processed foods, which often contain a cocktail of colour enhancers, shelf-life boosters, sweeteners and artificial flavourings. This means the average Brit is ingesting 8kg* of non-food chemicals each year. And while not all additives are bad for the key to healthy eating is getting the balance just right.
UNDERSTANDING ADDITIVES
'Almost any food made in a factory will contain additives,' says clinical nutritionist Nishtha Patel (thegutexpert.com). These are added to enhance the colour, texture or flavour of foods, and others work to extend their shelf life. 'It is how foods stay fresh and do not spoil,' says Nishtha.
Some additives are natural substances extracted from one food to use in another - such as beetroot juice to colour sweets. Others may be 'nature identical', meaning they're a man-made copy of a natural substance. Registered nutritionist Dr Laura Wyness says these can be found in tinned produce that contains acidity regulators such as citric acid, and preservatives such as ascorbic acid. 'Both are naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Ascorbic acid is better known as vitamin C [E300], which is important to our health, while citric acid (E330] is what gives lemons and limes their tang.'
However, it is the artificial, 'synthetically made' additives in foods that have the bad rep- and it's these that are worth looking out for on food labels.
PASSING THE SAFETY TEST
Bu hikaye Woman & Home dergisinin May 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Woman & Home dergisinin May 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Welcome to ENGLISH WINE COUNTRY
Ellen Himelfarb discovers palate-tingling wines and warm hospitality among the sunlit slopes and flint villages of Sussex
Naturally STYLISH
Combining mindfulness ideas and natural materials, this country house - built by Lisa and David Wallace – exudes beauty, calm and serenity
Make ANXIETY Your superpower
Embracing worrying thoughts might be more beneficial than suppressing them, says Samantha Wood
I hope the kids have my self-confidence
Author and presenter Richard Madeley reflects on the early days of parenting, and watching his family grow
Love..OR LIES?
Romance fraud is, sadly, on the increase - meet two women affected and find out how to stay safe
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A...PROBATION OFFICER
Meet Sarah Port, 40, deputy head of the Probation Delivery Unit in North Essex
Could YOU live on your PENSION?
Surviving on the minimum retirement living standard for a week shocked Faith Archer into increasing her contributions
We're having a FASHION moment
And long may it continue, says Wendy Rigg, charting the rise of midlife fashion
There really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME
But when Yorkshire-woman Sharon Wright fetched up in Surbiton, which would hold that special place in her affections?
Older & bolder
One of our favourite comedians, Helen Lederer, has finally sent imposter syndrome to Room 101