Clean eating is a
relatively new fad that convinces dieters that their food is somehow
unclean. Clean eating involves avoiding artificial sweeteners, food
dyes, farmed fish, cheap food, and conventional food.
Artificial
sweeteners often get a bad reputation because of the claim that they
cause cancer. This claim is false. The research that was done on
laboratory rats showed that they developed bladder cancer after
consumption of saccharin, the sweetener in Sweet'N Low. The doses the
rats consumed were the equivalent to 850 cans of soda per day. So
unless you consume more than 35 sodas per hour each and every day, it
is safe to say that you should have no worries about developing
cancer from artificial sweeteners. If you are concerned about cancer,
consider quitting smoking if you are a smoker and getting to a
healthy weight if you are overweight or obese.
Food additives, such
as food dyes, are allowed only in amounts that allow a large margin
of safety. There is little to no risk of developing any type of
disorder from consumption of food additives that are listed on the
GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) list.
Organic verses
conventional seems to be a very tireless debate. Pesticides are
regulated and require a margin of safety just like food additives.
People who purchase and consume conventional fruits and vegetables
should not feel guilty for doing so. Organic food is more expensive
and I would never recommend to someone on a tight budget to only buy
organic. My concern lies with the fact that most people lack fruits
and vegetables in their diet, not whether their food is organic or
not.
Clean eating has its
strong points, but for most families who are on a tight budget,
buying only organic food is just not reasonable.
No comments:
Post a Comment