The hidden dangers of sugar, refined carbs, folic acid, preservatives
Our European travels have given us a glimpse of how people on the other side of the pond eat. One noticeable difference is what is consumed at breakfast
Those vast European buffets at the various restaurants provide a window into the eating habits of those who frequent them.
Generally, commercial cereals are not offered, although granola (in a big bowl) usually is. Plain, unsweetened yogurt is a go-to for most, eaten with fruit and sometimes topped with nuts.
Milk is available, but not prominent, and is rarely used for the granola. Meats, eggs, and cheese are prominently displayed and eaten. Tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, and such like are often available – either cooked or raw.
Fresh bread—baked locally — is offered, but it is much less prominently displayed or consumed. It is always on the counter as a loaf, and one is supposed to cut off a piece with a large, serrated knife.
With a half slice being the usual serving size. Yes, there are usually some sweet breads- croissants and such like, but again, they aren’t the main “go to” for most people.
So, basically, the emphasis is on protein, fermented dairy, and produce. With grain products being less prominently displayed or eaten. The eating patterns are noticeably different.
The other thing is that people take less onto their plates and tend to clean their plates. People just seem to eat cleaner.
Clean eating is a dietary approach that focuses on consuming whole foods and foods in their most natural, unprocessed states. Jill and I do not have perfect eating habits, but our diet has undergone a radical change, and the results have been phenomenal.
One of the most critical steps on our road to a different way of eating was eliminating all breakfast cereals from our diet a few years ago.
Breakfast cereal and sugar
Breakfast cereals are evil. Not just for us, but for all Americans: children and adults alike. If this wasn’t bad enough, Americans have been spoon-feeding this junk to toddlers as soon as a spoon could fit in their tiny mouths.
Cereal is now eaten as breakfast, an afternoon snack, for dinner, and as dessert. Cereal is promoted as a healthy food, yet… it isn’t. Breakfast cereals are made up primarily of the basic forms of carbohydrates: starches and sugars.
On average, children’s cereals are made up of 34 percent sugar by weight, and most children in the USA eat about ten pounds of sugar each year from cereal alone. Furthermore, some children consume large amounts of cereal, far exceeding the relatively small serving size listed on the box.
Some of the cereal brands contain over 50 percent sugar by weight – they are essentially pure sugar and simple carbohydrates!
Much of the sugar in those cereal boxes comes from high-fructose corn syrup, which is highly addictive. High fructose corn syrup is considered an ultra-processed food.
The manufacturing process utilizes enzymes and acids to convert some of the glucose from corn syrup into fructose, a sweeter-tasting compound. You may ask why high-fructose corn syrup is used. This sweetness makes the stuff even more addictive, especially for little kids.
Human Kibble
That said, sugary cereals are also addictive. Many people eat multiple bowls of cereal daily. Many children eat multiple bowls of cereal a day. Let’s face it, cereal is easy, cheap to buy, safe to prepare, palatable and readily available.
Even a six-year-old can pull out a box of cereal, get a bowl, pour milk on top, and generally not get hurt doing so. But it isn’t just the cereal that people eat; they also top the cereal bowl with sugar.
That means lots of excess calories. Cereal contributes to obesity, as it is a low-quality, high-carb food, and because it is addictive, it adds excess calories to one’s daily diet
Then there are the preservatives and additives commonly found in most commercial cereal brands. BHT and BHA are two of the preservatives commonly found in commercial cereals, bread, and snack foods sold in the United States.
Preservatives
BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) is used to extend shelf life, especially in cereals such as Cap’n Crunch, Apple Jacks, and Froot Loops. It is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and has been associated with hormone disruption and potential reproductive harm.
BHT is incorporated either directly into the cereal or through packaging liners, which can transfer it into the food.
BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) is a chemical similar to BHT, sometimes present in cereals, though it is more often used for preserving meats. It is classified as possibly carcinogenic and has been linked to hormone disruption.
Artificial food dyes
Artificial food dyes, such as Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1, are commonly used in breakfast cereals and snack foods to enhance their visual appeal, particularly for children.
Some dyes, such as Red 40 and Yellow 5, are banned in children’s foods in the European Union due to links to hyperactivity and other health concerns, but remain legal in the United States.
Under President Trump, the use of these dyes is being restricted; however, the ban on these dyes will not take effect until the end of 2026.
Folic acid
Folic acid is added to breakfast cereals, flour, and grain as a substitute for natural folate acid. This is added so that pregnant women make adequate amounts of folate to prevent neural tube defects (Spina bifida and Anencephaly) in babies and to help meet the minimum folate standards.
Of note, the U.S. FDA has mandated the enrichment of wheat flour, cornmeal, and rice flour with folic acid (140 µg per 100 g of flour) since 1998.
For breakfast cereal fortification, a folic acid solution or powder is sprayed or mixed onto the finished cereal before packaging. It is also required for meal replacement (protein) bars and powders.
Of course, it isn’t just breakfast cereals; folic acid is in all of our bread – unless it is made with organic flour.
Most people tolerate this supplement well. However, roughly 30–40% of the population carries a genetic mutation called MTHFR polymorphism, which reduces their ability to metabolize folic acid efficiently.
And for 10-15 percent of the population, their bodies do not properly break down folic acid, leading to unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) buildup in the blood, which may weaken immune function, including natural killer (NK) cell activity.
There can also be significant methylation-related issues in those with MTHFR polymorphisms, leading to elevated homocysteine levels despite adequate folic acid intake.
High homocysteine levels mainly increase the risk of cardiovascular and neurological disease. Chronically elevated levels can damage blood vessel linings, promote arterial plaque buildup and blood clots, and are linked to higher rates of heart attack and stroke.
In the brain, excess homocysteine contributes to oxidative stress and impaired neurotransmitter function, raising the risk of cognitive decline, dementia, depression, and neuropathy, especially when folate or vitamin B12 is low.
In pregnancy, high homocysteine is associated with miscarriage, preeclampsia, and birth defects such as neural tube defects. Overall, it’s a marker of impaired methylation and B-vitamin deficiency, with vascular and neurological damage being the most common and clinically significant consequences.
There is a simple blood test widely available to analyze for MTHFR variants. The test looks for two main DNA variants (SNPs) in the MTHFR gene:
- C677T (rs1801133) is the MTHFR gene most strongly linked to reduced enzyme activity and,
- The A1298C (rs1801131) gene, which has milder effect, but can compound with C677T
The results of a lab report testing for the variants will report on whether an individual has the following profile:
- Normal (wild type)
- Heterozygous (one copy of the variant)
- Homozygous (two copies, most substantial effect)
Because of the higher risk of cardiovascular disease associated with the MTHFR gene and the lack of overt symptoms, we recommend that everyone consider getting tested. However, some groups of people are more likely than others to have one of these variants.
The geographic and Ethnic Distribution of the Frequency of C677T Allele differs:
- East Asian (China, Japan, Korea) – 30–40 percent homozygous – Among the highest prevalence globally; linked to high homocysteine levels and folate sensitivity.
- Southern European (Italy, Spain, France, etc.) – 10–20 percent homozygous – Moderate frequency; often associated with mild enzyme reduction.
- Northern European – 5–12 percent homozygous – Common but less than in Mediterranean regions.
- African and African American – <2–3 percent homozygous -The 677T variant is rare; A1298C is somewhat more common.
- Indigenous American (including S. Americans) – Variable (10–30 percent) – Reflects East Asian ancestry patterns.
- South Asian (India, Pakistan)- 10–15 percent homozygous.
Older studies and meta-analysis studies have not been conclusive regarding the association between the C677T gene and cardiovascular disease, but more recent studies have found that, especially in Asian populations, the risk is higher:
“We observed a significant correlation between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the development of CHD in the recessive model (OR: 1.35, 95 percent CI: 1.06-1.71, P = 0.006) for the overall population.
In subgroups stratified by ethnicity and source of controls, subgroup analyses indicated similar associations in Asians and hospital-based groups, but not for Caucasians and population-based groups.” (ref).
Our findings indicated that MTRR rs1532268, MTHFR rs1801131 and MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphisms may affect the risk of CHD in Asians and Caucasians, while the MTRR rs1801394 polymorphism may only affect in risk of CHD in Asians (ref).
And yet still, no major medical group or the HHS “task force” recommends testing, not even for the Asian population, who are most at risk. Particularly if eating a high-carb (cereal/bread/etc) diet – as the amount of folic acid being ingested could be quite high in those individuals.
The real reason why folic acid supplementation is required is to prevent neural tube defects, and those numbers have decreased by 36 percent since folic acid was added to foods so that pregnant women can get adequate amounts.
Neural tube defects have declined from around 4,100 cases per year to around 3,000 – so this truly has been a blessing for some families. This is important, but the only people being affected by this mandated supplement are pregnant women and their babies.
Are the neural tube defect benefits sufficient to justify the harms done to those with MTHFR gene C677T genetic alleles? No one has done the risk/benefit analysis to the best of my knowledge. So I asked Grok to perform the analysis (see below at the end of this essay).
Potential Harms of Folic Acid supplementation are primarily associated with excessive intake (>1,000 mcg/day). At high doses, unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) can accumulate, especially in TT carriers due to impaired conversion, potentially creating a “pseudo-MTHFR deficiency” by further suppressing enzyme activity.
Evidence for harm is mostly associative (from observational studies and meta-analyses), not causal, and focused on excess rather than standard use. No large randomized trials show definitive risks at 400 mcg.
Once again, this is a public mandate to supplement all grains for which we, the public, weren’t given a choice. And the results are that for some, the risk of cardiac heart disease, immune dysfunction, and cognitive issues may be significant.
Another example of “Public Health” officials mandating a one-size-fits-all solution based on flawed utilitarian (greatest good for the greatest number) logic.
BTW- the CDC does not address the issues directly, but instead focuses on the need for folic acid supplements for pregnant women, yet there are alternatives such as methylated folate, which is a natural form of folate and more like one would eat in whole foods.
The problem is that 5-MTHF (methylated folate) and folinic acid most likely will improve folate status – but until clinical trials demonstrating fewer NTDs have been conducted, the CDC will not recommend them.
As the CDC finds folic acid adequate, there is little incentive for the government to fund such studies. So, guidelines continue to recommend folic acid specifically. But there are many “methylated folate” supplements on the market.
This is taken from a long document. Read the rest here malone.news
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