October 21, 2015 · Written by Foodtolive Team

Neurotoxins in Foods: How to Protect Yourself from Their Harm

Neurotoxins, which are found in most processed and packaged foods as food additives, are also called excitoxins. This name discovers their nature and their effects on human health more exactly.  They are aimed at exciting your appetite, nerve cells, and brain. Moreover, these neurotoxins may cause addiction, which makes them even more dangerous.

Neurotoxins and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Among over seventy neurotoxins that are used as food additives, the most widely used are monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartate, and hydrolyzed protein. All of them affect your health in a similar way: they cause overstimulation of nerve cells, especially neurons, which eventually results in their damage and premature death.

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Many studies link the consumption of MSG to the higher risk of neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s ones. The main cause of them is the destruction of neurons in the nerve cells.

Aspartate is found in the artificial sweetener aspartame. This neurotoxin is thought to be even more harmful, because it is used in sugar-free drinks and is absorbed by the body more rapidly. Its consumption may lead to various conditions in the brain and nervous system such as headaches, encephalopathy, strokes, brain tumors, and some others.

Hydrolyzed protein is considered to be the worst of the most dangerous neurotoxins used as food additives, because it contains both MSG and aspartame.

Neurotoxins-in-Foods

It`s Your Task to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Neurotoxins

Food companies add neurotoxins to all processed and packaged foods – soups, frozen as well as canned products, chips, microwave foods, and foods for babies. They make profits out of a greater amount of purchases of these foods, firstly, because they do taste good and we have got used to them; secondly, because most people don’t know the truth about them. Therefore, you should know how to reduce the risk of being affected with these harmful substances, following certain tips:

  1. Be aware of what you are consuming.
    You should know the names of at least the most dangerous of neurotoxins. Toxicology experts advise to have a list of them when you are going shopping, until you remember. Read the labels attentively, and avoid foods that contain:

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  1. Pay attention to the fact that food companies often hide real additives under certain brand names, for example, NutraSweet or Amino Sweet for aspartame.
  2. Filter the water that you drink.
    Mind that even bottled water can contain neurotoxins. Buy a high quality filter and drink not less than 1 – 1.5l a day (for adults) of the filtered water, in order to detoxify yourself.
  3. Try to eat organic foods.
    According to experts, consuming organic foods can reduce your exposure to neurotoxins by 80 – 90%.
  4. Enhance your cooking talents.
    Discover new foods and recipes. Let your family enjoy healthful meals instead of processed or packaged food. Be sure that you are not safe from neurotoxins either in McDonald’s or in an expensive restaurant.