Food additives such as artificial food colours and intense sweeteners might be one of the causes of conditions such as gut permeability, IBS and hyperactivity in children. This means that it would be perhaps best to avoid them. However, with nearly 60% of foods found in a supermarket being processed or ultra-processed, this is rather difficult.

Recent statistics show that there is a significant increase in cancer in people under 50, such as cancer of colon, breast, liver and esophagus. Whether this can be attributed to poor diet and lifestyle remains to be seen. Nonetheless, it’s important to know what foods to avoid and which herbs and spices to include into our diet, which is where we continue our discussion today.

Food additives are chemical substances that are added to food to keep it fresh and enhance the colour, flavour or texture. Some are found in nature and wholefoods, however, food additives are regularly present in high amounts in processed foods. Also, some food additives are used more than others, posing questions about continuous exposure and long-term consumption.

Having a variety of different wholefoods in our diet makes a big impact on our healthspan. Today we talk about 11 types of nuts that have shown to have an anti-cancer effect, making nuts a definite addition to our menu.

It seems that nutrition labels on the back of food products are getting longer and more complex to understand, which leaves many of us wondering — what is really in our food? Food processing and food manufacturing have brought many areas in the world out of starvation by making food items last longer and more available. But in our modern world of convenience, have we become too reliant on semi-prepared and fully processed foods, and what long-term effects might this have on our health?