CMV: There is nothing wrong with artificial additives in food as long as it isn't harmful
CMV: There is nothing wrong with artificial additives in food as long as it isn't harmful
The problem when it comes to food is that nutrition science is basically pathetic. There's almost no properly controlled experiments and the state of nutritional advice changes constantly. There was a time when just about any doctor would have recommended staying away from fat as much as possible. We now believe that to be basically wrong and lacking significant nuance. Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet and only certain fats are considered bad for us.
And we've seen the food industry put processed and otherwise artificial ingredients in food for decades now. And, quite often, we discover after many years that those ingredients are very harmful. Just look at what happened with partially-hydrogenated oils. For many years, there was no evidence that those were harmful. Today, we know just how dangerous trans-fats truly are and we've basically forced manufacturers to stop using them.
It's that history that leads many to believe that we should limit ingredients to things that humans have been eating for thousands of years. That's as close to proof that something is safe as we're going to get. And it's that history that argues that the burden of proof should be on those creating these foods that they aren't harmful rather than the way you're framing it. Putting them out for the general public to consume and only learning how dangerous they are after causing significant harm is something that many of us consider to be wrong. That's why a lot of us specifically avoid products containing the kinds of ingredients you're talking about.
More on reddit.comCMV: Artificial flavors, additives, and preservatives should be banned from being in our food.
CMV: Artificial flavors, additives, and preservatives should be banned from being in our food.
Artificial flavor- A substitute that is cheaper that tastes similar to the said flavor, like beaver anal secretions used in vanilla flavor. Yep that's right look it up unless you have real vanilla ice cream your eating juice form a beavers ass.
This isn't really true. Or at least, it hasn't been true since the early 1900's. Killing a beaver for their Cestoreum is a rather annoying thing to have to do, seeing as they're a protected species.
These days, they just use synthetic vanillin, which is chemically identical to the stuff you get from the bean.
Which brings me to my point. Why is that bad?
Why is it bad that we can artificially create a substance which is cheaper and more environementally friendly instead of the "natural" thing.
More on reddit.comsolid evidence that artificial food additives can cause ADHD-like symptoms
solid evidence that artificial food additives can cause ADHD-like symptoms
Interesting. I read recently (I think in the Straight Dope, but I'm not sure) that studies consistently find no link between sugar intake and hyperactive behavior, despite the fact that practically all parents believe there's a link. I wonder if the real problem is that sugary foods are also likely to be full of artificial colors and preservatives. Of course, the sugar thing is usually seen as a direct and immediate effect, whereas this study was measuring long term effects.
More on reddit.comWhat's with "Natural Flavors" in almost everything?
What's with "Natural Flavors" in almost everything?