Our previous blog
(Click Here!) talked about ingredients to avoid in processed foods and we've been getting quite a few questions about one ingredient in particular. Many people haven't even heard of "brominated vegetable oil" aka BVO, or if they have heard of it, they are still unsure of what it is, why it's used and what it's used in. I decided to do a some research on this little devil that seems to be sneaking it's way into our diets.
Brominated vegetable oil (will be referred to as BVO in this article), is most commonly found in citrus flavored sodas and other beverages (Mountain Dew, which is pictured above, Fresca, Fanta and even Gatorade). BVO is used because it is found to stabalize and prevent the citrus oils from separating. A good way to tell if a product has BVO in it is to see if it has a murky, cloudy look, instead of being clear.
The key ingredient, bromine, is in fact found to be corrosive and toxic! The chemical bromine is used to treat light-sensitive photographic paper, as an additive to gasoline and agricultural fumigants. At one time it was even used as an ingredient in sedatives; it was pulled off the market in 1975 as it was found to trigger a whole list of psychiatric disorders. Over 100 countries have already banned the use of BVO. Although our FDA has considered this additive unsafe, no efforts have been done to put a stop to it's use yet.
Here is a list of side effects found from the intake of BVO, which is commonly stored in the body's fat cells.
:: Abdominal Cramps
:: Anxiety
:: Anorexia
:: Blurred Vision
:: Coma
:: Constricted Pupils
:: Convulsions
:: Cyanosis (Skin Blueness)
:: Diarrhea
:: Dizziness
:: Heart Beat Malfunction
:: Headache
:: Weakness
:: Tremors of the tongue and eyelids
:: Muscular Cramps
:: Nausea
:: Respiratory Difficulty
:: Salivation
:: Slow Pulse
:: Sweating
:: Tearing
:: Vomiting
:: Birth Defects
:: Growth Problems
:: Memory Loss
:: Fatigue
Other sources of good information about brominated vegetable oil:
Information from this article was found
HERE!
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