Florists' Review Media Group has served the global floral in study for over 124 years.
Issue link: http://floridahomesmag.uberflip.com/i/535560
GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com | 67 with reviews on common ingredients such as table salt and vinegar. Congress did not want the FDA wasting time and resources, so they created the GS loophole that allowed companies to by pass the agency and independently prove that their ingredients were safe. A er a manufacturer has completed its GS review on a new ingredient, it may either submit the review to the FDA for approval or bring the product directly to market. e FDA's average approval time on GS reviews is two years with some cases tak ing up to a decade. erefore, the majority of companies choose to sk ip this step entirely. While some argue that no GS ingredients have caused any immediate harm, the long- term effects of these additives are concerning. Carrageenan, for example, is commonly added to ice cream and yogurt to provide a thick and creamy texture, but it is also believed to cause long-term gastrointestinal problems. Perhaps the most well-k nown case of a GS ingredient posing danger is that of hydrogenated oils, or trans fats. Trans fats are ty pically used to keep foods fresher longer and are commonly found in fried foods, cake mi xes and microwavable popcorn. Public health officials have identified artificial trans fats as a direct contributor to heart disease, Ty pe II diabetes and stroke. e FDA is expected to revoke its GS status this summer. e FDA has received thousands of complaints over reactions to additives in recent years, reporting ever y thing from asthma to bouts of vomiting. A nd yet, the number of food additives has increased from 800 to more than 10,000 in the last 50 years. If the FDA is required to individually review and approve ever y additive, it would stall food innovation. "Ever y ingredient that is FDA approved is science/evidenced-based for the majority of the healthy population. Science can take time, though," says Sarah K rieger, a registered dietitian and nutritionist in St. Petersburg and the national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. e FDA's challenge in policing GS ingredients is particularly evident in caffeinated products. Caffeine has been long recognized as safe by the FDA, however many companies have taken advantage of this by adding elevated levels of caffeine to their products and mak ing their own GS determinations to bring these products to market. Today, caffeine is found in products one would never expect such as jellybeans and sunflower seeds. Canned alcoholic beverages with added caffeine were linked to several deaths and have since been banned from the market. By having no strict review system in place, it is nearly impossible for the FDA to monitor the ingredients in any given food product. is makes it impossible to monitor or track the long-term effects that may be associated with these ingredients. Sweet Poison Sugar, our favorite sweet poison, is perhaps the largest culprit, lurk ing in nearly ever y thing we consume at dangerously high levels. It even masquerades on food labels under many different aliases, mak ing it nearly impossible to avoid. For such a sweet lile indulgence, it sure has some nasty consequences. While some claim that food cannot be an addiction because it is a necessity, it has been widely theorized by scientists that sugar and cocaine elicit ver y similar responses in the brain. When cocaine is processed down to its purest form, it becomes notoriously addictive in nature. is is because it rapidly enters the bloodstream and almost immediately triggers the brain's reward center. Dopamine is released, and your body is taught that whatever you just did you should do again. Scientists believe the same thing happens when we eat foods with an artificially high concentration of sugar. Foods riddled with sugar essentially hijack the feeling of pleasure, and it becomes difficult to get that feeling from any other foods. Cardiovascular scientist James DiNicolantonio conducted a number of experiments on rats in relation to the addictive natures of both refined sugar and cocaine. He found that almost 100% of rats who are hooked on cocaine chose to switch to sugar when it is introduced, suggesting that refined sugar is even more addictive that cocaine, at least in rats. Humans are biologically programmed to seek out sugar. In the Paleolithic Ages, it helped the human body store fat and sur vive the harsh winters. is pre-programmed neurological response is now particularly dangerous as we are ingesting far more refined sugars than ever We simply do not have the information to vouch for the safety of many of these chemicals. Michael Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods " " Continued on page 68