Food Additives

When shopping for quick-prep convenience foods, we don't necessarily spend much time thinking about what's in them. And when we do read labels, many of us find it difficult to understand all the chemical terms embedded in the fine print. A number of common food additives should give us cause for concern, however, and foremost among these are "salt, because of blood pressure, and sugar because of empty calories," says Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.

Here's what else to look out for:

Salt

The daily allowance of salt recommended by the Food and Drug Administration is 2,400 milligrams, but the average American consumes 3,500 to 4,000 milligrams a day, reports the Harvard School of Public Health. Of that, 73 percent is added by food manufacturers and restaurateurs and only 12 percent comes naturally from food. By far the easiest way to monitor salt intake is to limit processed foods and select those with lower sodium amounts.

Sugar

Consumption of sweeteners in the U.S. climbed from 113 pounds per person in 1966 to 142 pounds in 2004, according to the USDA. Refined sugar, still a common additive in processed foods such as cookies and cakes, packs the empty calories and rollercoaster effects on blood sugar, and is also a cause of tooth decay. Better choices include honey, which provides some nutrients in the form of vitamins C, D, E and B-complex and traces of amino acids, enzymes and minerals; pure maple syrup (some nutrients); agave nectar, which absorbs more slowly into the bloodstream; date sugar (nutrients and minerals); and xylitol, or birch sugar, which has fewer calories than sugar. Some nutrients are also provided by raw cane sugar, maple sugar and Sucanat, a brand name for organically grown, dehydrated cane juice, to which no chemicals are added.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a modified form of corn syrup with increased fructose. It is made by treating cornstarch with acids or enzymes. This processing enhances sweetness and makes the syrup easier to dissolve at lower temperatures, yielding higher concentrations per unit weight. HFCS often comes from genetically modified corn. Like refined sugar, HFCS contains no nutritional value other than calories and can lead to tooth decay. Use of corn syrup by food processors has skyrocketed over the years because it is cheap, and by 2001 Americans consumed an average of 59 pounds per person in processed foods such as baked goods and frozen desserts, tomato sauce, ketchup, canned and frozen fruits, juices and soft drinks. There is now a heated debate in the medical community over how the body processes HFCS, since fructose does not provide the "satiety" signals to the brain that glucose does. Some experts also theorize that HFCS causes the liver to release more fat into the bloodstream. This makes people feel they want to eat more, even as they are storing up more fat—worsening the obesity epidemic.