food additives/nutritive values

[boydog]

What are some problems or issues related to food additives and nutritive values, that we as consumers should be concerned with??

[bionewbie]

Well for example, a lot of the can foods and frozen microwave meals that we eat today are very high in sodium. Compare different takeout dinners and you will see that salt is a major component of it.

[boydog]

what problem does the high amount of sodium cause? i know that too much sugar leads to diabetes. but salt, i'm not sure

[bionewbie]

Oh sorry I just realize that there is a second part to the question.

You mention nutritive values:
Iron is an important to take a look at, because it's an important in hemoglobin which helps to transfer oxygen around the body. Women have to be aware of this because they lose blood (subsequently iron) during menstruation.

Also, calcium is another important one. e.g. People who are lactose intolerant won't be able to get calcium from lactose-containing products so they need alternative sources of calcium.

... there are many more examples, but I hope this is what you are looking for.

[bionewbie]

what problem does the high amount of sodium cause? i know that too much sugar leads to diabetes. but salt, i'm not sure

Too much salt, then you will retain more water. This will cause an increase in your blood pressure. Hypertension is associated with high intakes of salt. Hypertension is a predisposing disease to other cardiovascular problems and cerebral hemorrhage.

[boydog]

ok thanks, and regarding the nutritive values, is there any minerals/vitamins that we should check out for to ensure that we are not tkaing too much of it?

[bionewbie]

as the cliche goes, the key is moderation. you can't have too much of one thing.

[boydog]

hmm i meant maybe there is this kind og mineral that is not good for us. and in certain food products, there is a high percentage of that.

[bionewbie]

oh, sorry I misunderstood.

The one thing that i can think of is Mercury, although that's not good for us in any amount. Some contaminated fish may have traces of Mercury, in which we have to be cautious.

As an aside, lead is also not good for us either in any amount, but some people may have abnormal cravings for non-food objects such as paint, dirt etc. This condition is known as pica.

[boydog]

hmm i see, thanks