Advantages and disadvantages of preservatives. Pros: they preserve the product, are of natural origin, and contribute to the mass production of products. "Cons": increase the risk of mental illness and allergies, have carcinogenic properties. Preservatives are substances (synthetic or natural) that slow down the decomposition of biological products. Today they can be found in vegetables, fruits, and processed foods. Since the origin of many preservatives is synthetic, the question of their safety for the health of consumers is often raised. Whether preservatives are capable of causing significant harm to humans or not is still not exactly clear.
Pros - or the benefits of preservatives:
1. Preservatives are natural
Many people do not know, but nature itself has given us a lot of preservatives. Natural sugar and salt - in themselves, have the property of preventing spoilage of products, which is why jam is made from fruits, and meat and fish are salted so that they do not spoil. Foods produce these substances themselves to protect them from decomposition. Although there are many more synthetic preservatives, natural ones also exist.
2. Promote mass production of products
If residents of rich countries, such as the USA, Great Britain, France, can afford to eat organic foods without preservatives, then those who are less fortunate are deprived of this opportunity. Preservatives allow food to be produced and stored for long periods of time in order to feed millions or even billions of people with cheap food. Although, in recent years, synthetic substances have not been used as widely as before, in the food industry, even in poor countries.
3. Preserve the product
Obviously, preservatives prevent food from spoiling, be it food or other organic material. Their action is to actively prevent the multiplication of microbes and, as a consequence, the decomposition of the product. But any change to the original product can pose a considerable danger to the consumer. Bacteria and microbes are a source of dangerous diseases.
"Cons" - or disadvantages of preservatives:
1. Increased risk of mental illness
In recent years, the use of preservatives has become a hot source of controversy. Several studies have shown that artificial substances in food are directly linked to the development of attention deficit disorder. Some preservatives were initially thought to be beneficial for reducing hyperactivity in children, until a negative side effect was discovered. A five-year study was conducted in Wisconsin schools on the effects of nutrition on children's health. As it turned out, in those schools where children were fed healthy food with a minimum of artificial preservatives, academic performance improved.
2. Carcinogenic properties
Dietary supplements butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene have been linked to cancer and carcinogenic activity. There is evidence that different people metabolize these additives differently, leading to the unproven claim that these two common preservatives may act as carcinogens in some people and not in others. Bottled hydroxytoluene is most commonly added to instant cereals and fats, while bottled hydroxyanisole can be found in packaged potatoes, meats, beer, baked goods, and even chewing gum.
3. Increase the risk of allergies
Like most other claims about synthetic preservatives, their effect on the occurrence of an allergic reaction has not been fully proven. Although some of them, including tartrazine (E102), carmine (E120) and saffron (E164 - yellow food coloring), are classified as dangerous for people suffering from anaphylaxis and Quincke's disease. Skin rashes, joint and muscle pains, asthma symptoms, weakness and lethargy are all common allergic reactions to food preservatives and additives. Less than 1% of consumers among adults are exposed to this effect, while this is significantly higher among children.
For more details, watch the video about the effect of food additives (preservatives) on the human body:
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