(NaturalHealth365)  When was the last time you took a closer look at the ingredients listed on your favorite soft drink or sports beverage?  Likely, most people have never glanced at the list of ingredients, but with a growing focus on health and wellness, it’s becoming critical to scrutinize what goes into our favorite drinks.

Common additives found in popular beverages and foods are currently under examination by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The FDA has (finally!) raised concerns about the safety of these additives in consumer products and is considering a potential ban on certain ingredients.  Just don’t expect the FDA to act quickly, since they are known to do little to protect public health.

We must educate ourselves and take action to prevent physical harm.  Keep reading for more important details.

Hidden dangers lurking in your soda:  Unmasking brominated vegetable oil

Soda is a well-known concoction of sweeteners and carbonation that tickles our taste buds.  But what often escapes our notice is an ingredient concealed within some soft drinks, lurking in the shadows, poised to potentially harm our nervous system.  This component is known as brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, a food additive prohibited in Europe but allowed in the United States.

Interestingly, beverages flaunting citrus flavors are more inclined to harbor BVO.  This compound, crafted by binding vegetable oil with bromine, lends its prowess to the flavoring mixture.  Its role?  To prevent the flavor components from parting ways with the sweetened water.

But beneath this seemingly innocent role lies a deeper, darker truth.  Brominated compounds, to which BVO belongs, have been linked to a plethora of health hazards, most notably, damage to the nervous system.  Over time, BVO can accumulate in the body, and scientific studies have unveiled a worrisome connection between consuming large quantities of BVO-containing sodas and an array of afflictions.  These may range from debilitating headaches to skin and mucous membrane irritation, culminating in the distressing symptoms of fatigue and the loss of muscle coordination and memory.

Rethinking BVO: FDA reconsiders safety after decades of use

Starting in 1958, the FDA granted BVO the classification of “generally recognized as safe,” often abbreviated as GRAS.  This classification essentially meant that BVO could be incorporated into food products without the necessity for periodic safety assessments that consider the latest scientific findings.  However, this GRAS designation faced withdrawal in 1970.  Yet, influenced by an industry association, the FDA subsequently relented and permitted using BVO as a stabilizer in fruit-flavored beverages.

Despite the known risks for decades, the FDA has only now taken steps to investigate the safety of BVO in consumer products, prompted by studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that have raised concerns about its impact on human health.

Besides BVO, color additives are also under scrutiny

BVO is not the only ingredient under scrutiny.  The FDA is poised to examine the regulations surrounding color additives used in food and beverages.  The current regulations permit using red dye No. 3 in various consumer products, including foods, drugs, and dietary supplements.  This reevaluation comes in the wake of the proposed ban on BVO.

In its forthcoming move, the FDA plans to ban BVO from nearly 100 different products, with orange soda as one of the most prominently affected items.  While it may not completely disappear from store shelves, this beverage and similar products will likely undergo significant modifications.

Refreshing ways to swap sodas for healthier alternatives

The pressing concern is this: how many potentially harmful food additives receive the label of “safe” from regulatory bodies while still posing risks to human health?  Unfortunately, BVO is just one of numerous questionable additives that continue to slip through the insufficient monitoring and regulation by the FDA.  Likely, the sodas, sports drinks, and processed foods lurking in your refrigerator and pantry are laden with these unhealthy additives, some of which may eventually face bans from use in consumer products.

Kicking your soda habit might prove challenging and could take days or even weeks, particularly if you’ve developed a dependency.  A gradual transition away from those cans or bottles of soda is the key.  Try crafting your own soda substitute at home using a clean source of water, organic lemon, sea salt, and wild honey.

Make a conscious choice to steer clear of your supermarket’s soda section, opting for alternatives like raw kombucha.  Kombucha offers digestive benefits, a delightful flavor, and satisfying carbonation.

Beyond DIY drinks and kombucha, there are many healthier soda replacements to explore, including sparkling water, coconut water, herbal tea, seltzer, and green tea.

By alternating between these soda substitutes, you can progressively reduce your soda consumption and bid farewell to other beverages brimming with questionable additives and chemicals.

Sources for this article include:

FDA.gov
Studyfinds.org
EWG.org