In the late 1970s, foods labeled healthy became more popular, leading to increased availability and sales in America's grocery stores. Today, various manufactured healthy foods are on our grocery store shelves—many aimed at those who choose the vegan lifestyle, want or need to go dairy-free, or make healthy eating a part of their lives.
In the early 2000s, the sale of plant-based foods started showing up in our grocery stores; by 2020, their popularity grew. Both plant-based meats and dairy products are marketed to vegans and vegetarians as healthy and beneficial on an environmental and ethical basis. Plant-based dairy products carry the added benefit for those who cannot tolerate lactose.
Plant-based milk has been used since the 14th century, when soya milk, or doujiang, was first written about in China. By the 17th century, soybean milk was a staple in Chinese cooking. These types of milk began appearing on the shelves of our grocery stores in the 1970s—with the sales of milk alternatives doubling in 2009.
Almond, soy, and oat milk are marketed as healthy alternatives to cows' milk. They are advertised as environmentally friendly, lower in fat and calories, and contain less sugar. Factoring into the sales of plant-based milk, the sugar source in milk alternatives does not include lactose, which is milk naturally derived from cows and goats. The manufacturing process consists of soaking the main ingredient, grinding it to a pulp, straining it, and adding water, vitamins, minerals, and sometimes flavorings such as chocolate. Depending on the brand, either very little or a more significant amount of additives can be used to make the finished product resemble cow's milk.
Plant-based milk is marketed as a healthy alternative, and many consumers feel safe purchasing these products due to their health benefits. However, some of these alternatives contain an additive called dipotassium phosphate. The lab-created dipotassium phosphate is an inorganic salt that is a source of potassium and phosphorus, and most plant-based oat milk and creamers contain this chemical.
Dipotassium phosphate is labeled as GRAS by the FDA, but it is not given a percentage limit that food manufacturers must follow. It is only specified that it is generally recognized as safe when used in accordance with good manufacturing practices. However, this chemical additive has significant concerns, including side effects such as electrolyte imbalances, joint pain, fatigue, and cardiac and GI issues. There are also concerns about long-term exposure to this additive and exceeding the limit that the FDA has deemed safe. This additive is used in baked goods, snacks, protein drinks, and dairy products. Besides the Planet Oat brand, dipotassium phosphate is included in Violife and Great Value Hazelnut creamer.
Plant-based meats are considered healthy alternatives to animal meats; the food industry claims they are more nutritious, contain less cholesterol, and are packed with protein. The problem with many of these foods that are marketed as being healthy is that they are highly processed food products that can contain high amounts of sodium and fat, lack vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and are packed with additives such as flavorings, colors, and emulsifiers. Gardein plant-based meats often contain titanium dioxide, and Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips contain maltodextrin, which has many side effects, including adverse effects on the gut.
Parents are also faced with making health-conscious decisions at the grocery store, as their concerns are that their children receive the most nutritious, healthiest foods to help both their bodies and brains develop properly while keeping in mind their children's taste and desire for yummy foods that also look fun on the plate. They also tend to look toward trusted names in the baby food industry, such as Gerber and Beechnut. However, many of the foods for infants and toddlers, although advertised as healthy, organic, and even those manufactured by those trusted food industry names, contain an ingredient called pyroxidine hydrochloride. Pyroxidine hydrochloride is listed on those and many other food products as vitamin B6, but it is created in a laboratory; therefore, it is a chemical substitute for actual B6.
Natural vitamin B6 is known as pyroxidine. It benefits the human body in essential ways, from improving mood and reducing the symptoms of depression and treating the symptoms of PMS to promoting eye health and possibly preventing eye diseases. There are many natural sources of vitamin B6, including raisins, onions, bananas, potatoes, chicken, turkey, salmon, and many other whole foods.
Gerber Cereals for Babies, Beechnut Oatmeals for Babies, Gerber Grain and Grow Strawberry Apple Puffs, and Earth's Best Organic Sesame Street Organic Letter of the Day Cookies are four name-brand foods marketed for infants and toddlers that are supposed to be healthy and promote physical and brain growth in our newborns and toddlers. Cookies are tasty, fun, and attractive to our youngest Americans. And the label organic on any product denotes a product that is supposed to be among the healthiest in our food supply. All four are examples of food products for our infants and toddlers that contain pyroxidine hydrochloride.
Besides those food products for our children, Cocoa Krispies and Ovaltine—marketed as a healthy alternative to hot chocolate—contain pyroxidine hydrochloride. While the human body needs vitamin B6, getting the required daily allowance for our bodies is much more nutritious and beneficial when we consume this vitamin from natural sources. Unfortunately, many Americans see an ingredient such as pyroxidine hydrochloride listed as vitamin B6 and believe it will contribute to their overall best health. There is actual debate about the safety and benefits of synthetic vitamins. However, synthetic, chemically-created vitamins and additives may lead to poor health and the development of health conditions and diseases that a diet of whole, natural foods could avoid.
It's important to use good judgment when choosing foods and understand that the health benefits depend on the ingredients. This way, we can be assured that we are buying foods that will keep us at our healthiest, regardless of what the food labels claim. Educating ourselves on the natural sources of vitamins and minerals and the health benefits of foods labeled as healthy is one of the many ways we can achieve our best health.
