生活中需要注意哪些防腐劑?

Preservatives are food additives that are designed to keep food fresh and extend their shelf life by preventing spoilage and the growth of mold and harmful bacteria (via LiveStrong). While food preservatives can be helpful and are sometimes necessary, they may not always be good for our health. Natural preservatives like salt and sugar should be consumed in moderation, but certain artificial preservatives should be more strictly limited.

防腐劑是一種食品添加劑，通過防止變質(zhì)、霉菌和有害細(xì)菌的生長(zhǎng)來保持食物新鮮，延長(zhǎng)保質(zhì)期(通過LiveStrong)。雖然食品防腐劑是有益的，有時(shí)是必要的，但它們可能并不總是對(duì)我們的健康有益。鹽和糖等天然防腐劑應(yīng)適量食用，但某些人工防腐劑應(yīng)受到更嚴(yán)格的限制。

Although food preservatives are supposed to make food safer and more convenient, not all food additives are equal. For instance, artificial preservatives typically use synthetic chemicals to prevent food spoilage, and while these types of preservatives are generally safe when consumed in small amounts, consuming large quantities of processed foods may pose a risk to your overall health and well-being. Not to mention, artificial preservatives are also more likely to be added to foods that are already less healthy and nutritious to begin with.

雖然人們認(rèn)為食品防腐劑可以使食品更安全、更方便，但并不是所有的食品添加劑都是一樣的。例如，人工防腐劑通常使用合成化學(xué)物質(zhì)來防止食物變質(zhì)，雖然這類防腐劑在少量食用時(shí)通常是安全的，但大量食用加工食品可能會(huì)對(duì)你的整體健康和幸福構(gòu)成風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。更不用說，人工防腐劑也更有可能被添加到本來就不那么健康和營(yíng)養(yǎng)的食物中。

Artificial preservatives like ascorbic acid, aspartame, and taurine are generally considered safe to eat (via Greatist). However, there are certain food additives that can increase your risk of heart disease and cancer. That's why it's important to know which preservatives to look out for. Some preservatives that you should be wary of include nitrates, sulfites, and butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHA/BHT).

人造防腐劑，如抗壞血酸，阿斯巴甜和牛磺酸通常是安全的。然而，有些食物添加劑會(huì)增加你患心臟病和癌癥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。這就是為什么知道哪些防腐劑需要注意的重要性。你應(yīng)該注意的防腐劑包括硝酸鹽、亞硫酸鹽、丁基羥基茴香醚和丁基羥基甲苯(BHA/BHT)。

Nitrates are often used to preserve and flavor meat. They're also used to add color to hot dogs and other red meat products. While it may be safe to consume nitrates in tiny amounts, they are linked to certain types of cancer. That's why the American Cancer Society recommends limiting the consumption of nitrates or avoiding them altogether.

硝酸鹽常被用來保存和調(diào)味肉類。它們也常用來給熱狗和其他紅肉產(chǎn)品上色。雖然攝入少量的硝酸鹽可能是安全的，但它們與某些類型的癌癥有關(guān)。這就是為什么美國(guó)癌癥協(xié)會(huì)建議限制硝酸鹽的攝入，或完全避免食用。

Sulfites are another artificial preservative to watch out for. Used to prevent discoloration, sulfites can trigger asthma and other allergies (via LiveStrong). If you are prone to asthma, it might be a good idea to steer clear of food products that include ingredients with the word "sulfite." BHA and BHT should also be avoided or consumed in small quantities. They're used to preserve oils and fats in processed foods, and while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers BHA and BHT to be generally safe, they are both linked to an increased risk of cancer.

亞硫酸鹽是另一種需要注意的人工防腐劑。亞硫酸鹽可以防止變色，但會(huì)引發(fā)哮喘和其他過敏癥。如果你易患哮喘，最好避免食用含有“亞硫酸鹽”字樣的食品。丁基羥基茴香醚和二叔丁基羥基茴香醚(BHA和BHT)也應(yīng)避免或少量食用。它們被用來保存加工食品中的油脂，盡管美國(guó)食品和藥物管理局(FDA)認(rèn)為BHA和BHT一般是安全的，但它們都與癌癥風(fēng)險(xiǎn)增加有關(guān)。