More On Antioxidants

Written by Daniel Zehirov

As mentioned in a previous post, we will be looking into antioxidants in more detail to discover how they really work and what makes them tick. To gain some general knowledge on antioxidants, you can visit this article or simply read the previous blog post about antioxidants. This time we will be talking in more detail about how antioxidants work to keep us healthy. Antioxidants work to neutralize the oxidants that are created during normal metabolic processes. As mentioned in the previous article, it is impossible to avoid oxidants, but you can certainly consume enough antioxidants to get rid of these oxidants. One example of a rich source of antioxidants are vegetable and fruit. Studies have shown that people who consume more fruits and vegetables are less susceptible to diseases caused by oxidants, such as cancer and heart disease. In addition, people who expose themselves to pro-oxidants like pollution and cigarette smoke, whether it is primary or secondary smoke, are more likely to suffer from oxidative stress.

There are different types of antioxidants that serve different purposes. Each type of antioxidant is specialized for treating different oxidized (damaged) parts of the body. For example, the oxidation of lipoprotein in the blood is a contributing factor to heart disease. To prevent this, one takes Vitamin E (Tocopherol) supplements which contain the antioxidants to stop the oxidation of these lipoproteins. This is why Vitamin E is said to help prevent heart disease. As you can see from the image above, which is the structure of Vitamin E, it is a very stable compound and it has no unpaired electrons floating around which means it would not be harmful to our cells. You can read this article to find out what diseases other vitamins and minerals are useful for treating.

More to come on antioxidants soon.

BHA and BHT - An Intro

Written by Jane Yoon

BHA (butylated hydroxy­­anisole; C₁₁H₁₆O₂) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene; C₁₅H₂₄O), as previously mentioned, are commonly-used preservatives in foods with fats and oils. Their purpose is mainly to delay the oxidation of foods so that they do not change color, flavor, or odor over time. They do that by reacting with oxygen before it reaches the fats and oils so that the fats and oils do not oxidize and spoil. Thus, BHA and BHT are both antioxidants, something we think is beneficial for our body. But this article questions the net benefits of them.

We can see that the molecular structures of both BHA and BHT are very similar. They are both phenols (hydroxyl group attached to benzene ring). Most antioxidants are polar but BHA is a bit more polar than BHT. Both must be polar in order to react with the oxygen and antioxidize.

Now if we observe the antioxidation effects from this and this experiment (tests on rats and mice), it is not possible to determine whether or not BHA and BHT are completely beneficial or harmful. The first test shows an increase in liver cell protection and the prevention of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity (toxins in the liver). The second test, on the other hand, shows negative effects on the behavior of the tested animals. Not only are we unsure of what action to take on these compounds, but we cannot even assume that these effects will apply to humans as well. This is where the big controversy lies and people are growing furious because they only look at it under a negative light.

Fact: BHA is banned in Japan and California because it is considered a carcinogen (a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue).

If it is a carcinogen to some places, should it be a carcinogen to all places?

We will continue to look at studies on BHA and BHT.

Lipoic Acid - An Intro

Written by Adam Bronfin

Within the category of antioxidants, we are going to focus on alpha-lipoic acid. This website gives a a great background of lipoic acid. Other antioxidants, we've mentioned or that you may have heard of, work only in water (such as vitamin C) or fatty tissues (such as vitamin E), but alpha-lipoic acid is both fat- and water-soluble which makes it unique and multi-functional. In other words, that means it can work throughout the body. As we've mentioned before, antioxidants in the body are used up as they attack free radicals, but evidence suggests alpha-lipoic acid may help regenerate these other antioxidants and make them active again. From a more chemical standpoint, in the cells of the body, alpha-lipoic acid is changed into dihydrolipoic acid. This is the reduced form of alpha-lipoic acid. 

Lipoic acid is very common in many foods we eat, often naturally occurring. When it does naturally occur, it is in small amounts and is covalently bonded. 

Here a compiled list of the top uses for alpha-lipoic acid:

• Prevent organ dysfunction

• Reduce endothelial dysfunction and improve albuminuria

• Treat or prevent cardiovascular disease

• Accelerate chronic wound healing

• Reduce levels of ADMA in diabetic end-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis

• Management of burning mouth syndrome

• Reduce iron overload

• Treat metabolic syndrome

• Improve or prevent age-related cognitive dysfunction

• Prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

• Prevent erectile dysfunction (animal models but anecdotally applies to humans as well)

• Prevent migraines

• Treat multiple sclerosis

• Treat chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress

• Reduce inflammation

• Treat peripheral artery disease

List is from http://edenvalleyfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Lipoic-acid-Wikipedia.pdf

Antioxidants - An Intro

Written by Adam Bronfin

Similar to how we're beginning to focus in on Calcium Propionate, Antioxidants will also be one of our main focuses. As the name implies, antioxidants are substances that are capable of counteracting the damaging, but normal, effects of the process of oxidation in animal tissue. Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions). They are believed to play a role in preventing the development of such chronic diseases as cancer and heart disease

Oxidative stress occurs when the production of harmful chemical molecules called free radicals is beyond the protective capability of the antioxidant defenses. Free radicals are chemically active atoms or molecular fragments that have a charge due to an excess or deficient number of electrons. Examples of free radicals are the superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, transition metals such as iron and copper, nitric acid, and ozone. Free radicals containing oxygen, known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), are the most biologically significant free radicals. ROS include the radicals superoxide and hydroxyl radical, plus derivatives of oxygen that do not contain unpaired electrons, such as hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, and hypochlorous acid.

If you look at the lewis dot structure of these "free radicals", you will be able to see the unpaired electrons. Because they have one or more unpaired electrons, free radicals are highly unstable. They scavenge your body to grab or donate electrons, thereby damaging cells, proteins, and DNA (genetic material). The same oxidative process also causes oils to become rancid, peeled apples to turn brown, and iron to rust.

It is impossible for us to avoid damage by free radicals. Free radicals arise from sources both inside (endogenous) and outside (exogenous) our bodies. Oxidants that develop from processes within our bodies form as a result of normal aerobic, metabolism, and inflammation. Exogenous free radicals form from environmental factors such as pollution. Our antioxidant systems are not perfect, so as we age, cell parts damaged by oxidation accumulate.

We will be doing a more in-depth look at antioxidants, including the chemistry, later on.

Calcium Propionate

Written by Adam Bronfin

This article is a great, but simple article describing the uses of calcium propionate. While its not as in depth as the other posts we've put on this blog, its a great article to realize the practical uses of the molecule.

Baked goods- helps prevent mold, Calcium Propionate has an acidic pH

Dairy products- often, a form of Calcium Propionate is naturally found in dairy products

Meat- Various processed meats include Calcium Propionate, not so much with fresh meat

Calcium Propionate - An In-Depth Look

Written by Adam Bronfin

In studying food additives, the first thing you need to know is that whether we mention 

calcium propionate, calcium propanoate or propionic acid, we are talking about the same 

thing. Because as I mentioned before calcium propionate is the calcium salt of propionic 

acid. 

Whether the molecule exists in solution as calcium propionate or as propionic acid 

depends on the pH of the solution.  At lower pH values, the molecule exists as propionic 

acid, and higher pH values it exists as calcium propionate.  The pKa of propionic acid about 4.9, so at a pH values lower than this, the compound is mostly in an undissociated state, 
while above this it’s mostly in a dissociated state.

The way calcium propionate affects food is thought to be caused mostly by the molecule in its undissociated state, which means that the lower the pH, the more effective the

preservative will be. The mechanism of action is thought to be because the undissociated 

molecule is lipophilic (lipid loving) and readily dissolves into cell membranes.  Once the

molecule is there, it may interfere with the membranes permeability. Anything that disrupts membrane permeability makes it hard for cells to function normally.

Calcium Propionate - A Chemical Intro

Written by Adam Bronfin

As we begin to figure out a more specific topic for our research, I wanted to post a quick table about the properties of Calcium Propionate, a common food preservative.

CAS No.	4075-81-4
Chemical Formula	C6H10O4Ca
Specification	export standard
Packing	In 25kg bags
Functional use	Preservative
Items	Specification
Appearance	White crystalline powder
Content %	≥99.0
Moisture %	≤8.0
Water insoluble matter %	≤0.15
pH	7.0-9.0

While a lot of this may not mean a lot, as its mostly used for commercial purposes, its important to notice the chemical formula. Calcium Propionate is the calcium salt of propanoic acid. As for IMF, according to the Lewis dot structure and what we know about IMF, it can be gathered that there H bonding is the most important IMF.

Benefits of Food Additive

Written by Adam Bronfin

A lot of the posts we've put on this blog and on our twitter have portrayed food additives in a negative way. But, in fact, food additives play a critical role in the agricultural world and allows for millions if not billions of people to eat nutritious meals everyday. We all know that all foods will eventually spoil if they aren’t eaten. Because of this, historically, famines have often been caused by food spoiling between harvests or during transportation. In fact, many common foods were developed as ways to extend the life of fast-spoiling foods. Cheese was most likely invented as a way of preserving milk. Cured meats like ham, bacon, and sausage keep longer than uncured meat, enabling it to survive long journeys or last through the winter. Pickling keeps vegetables from going bad, and adding sugar to fruit keeps it fresh. In fact, we still call sugared fruit “preserves.” Even alcoholic beverages are a form of preserved food—beer is basically fermented wheat, and wine is fermented grapes.

Today we still want our food to stay fresh for as long as possible as it allows for more humans to eat more food. Bread used to become stale and moldy within a few days, but today bread contains preservatives such as calcium propionate to keep them fresh longer. Calcium propionate is a chemical, but it occurs naturally in many foods and dairy products. In lab tests, scientists fed rats the chemical at up to 4% of their total diet for a whole year with no ill effects. BHA and BHT are henolic compounds or in more simple terms they are common preservatives in foods with fats and oils, like potato chips and crackers. They’re antioxidants— chemicals that prevent damage from oxygen (oxidation). All of these chemicals have the same purpose— keeping our food from spoiling.

In later posts we go more in depth on BHA and BHT as well as calcium propionate, but we just wanted to post a quick over view of where we're planning on doing our research.

Why Are Food Additives In My Food?

Written by Hyun Kyung Lee



This article states that food additives and preservatives are in foods that we eat everyday. On the back of people's canned or boxed foods, are multitudes of unknown ingredients, but that information is usually neglected. What is the purpose of these food additives and preservatives? Some reasons include a cheap process to keep food from spoiling while maintaining visual appeal. As a consumer, purchasing these products will help in managing a low budget. However, this may not be so beneficial to one, especially in the long run. Some food additives and preservatives attempt to replenish nutrients that may be considered low or deficient in an average diet. Potassium, calcium, and more are commonly added to processed foods and labelled "fortified" afterwards, meaning that the nutrients are usually in synthetic form and are unable to be properly utilized by the body, which can create more nutritional stress in the body. In addition, food additives and preservatives have been linked to several issues such as behavioral problems in children, hyperactivity, anxiety disorders, asthma, allergies, digestive disorders and even cancer.

Food Dyes and the Consequences

Written by Jane Yoon

Scientists have been extensively looking at the relation between ADHD and food dyes but to no avail. There have been mixed results that do not fully prove a significance yet. However, they have found (through many, many experiments) suggestions that the sugar in food dyes is associated with hyperactivity.

There are food dyes in almost all foods - even ones you wouldn't expect.

There are two types of approved color additives - dyes and lakes. Dyes are water-soluble and usually come in the form of powders, granules, or liquids. Lakes are not water-soluble. They are found in products containing fats and oils. Food dyes are now commercially used to brighten the color of foods so that they look fresher and better tasting. It is enough to capture the interest of children; they enjoy eating blue and green fruit snacks and rainbow yogurt. The Food and Drug Administration says that the food dyes that have been passed are not harmful to the consumers, but if children are exposed to unhealthy amounts of artifical colors, then they are more likely to experience bad side effects and reactions to them.
Scientists are not positive as to what causes ADHD but they have a good idea of what may contribute. Such things include hereditary factors, environmental toxins, changes in brain structure, and food additives. Food dyes are observed in this study because the sugar and carbohydrates in them may have an effect on ADHD. These sugars produce a rapid increase in blood glucose levels because they enter the bloodstream so quickly. A rapid increase in blood glucose levels could cause the consumer (most likely a child) to suddenly become active and full of adrenaline. This is not a fact, but a viable proposal.

Where Your Food Additives Come From

Written by David Zehirov

Our topic is to discuss what food additives do and how they can be dangerous or healthy, but mostly dangerous. To gain more insight into food additives' effects, it would be worthwhile to learn where a few of them come from. This article shows where 5 of the most commonly consumed food additives come from and how they are made. It provides good information on food additives found in most common everyday foods like french fries, sugar, sausages, and any food that has a red color in enough detail to make you rethink about ever looking at that food again. So read at the risk of having you favorite food ruined for you.

Intro to Food Additives

Written by Adam Bronfin Many people enjoy making bread, cakes, wine, beer, and ice cream at home. However, most of today's food is bought from shops and supermarkets. Food made at home is always at its best when eaten straight away. Food produced on the large scale that is needed to supply supermarkets and other food shops has to be transported and stored before it is consumed. It has to stay in top condition over a much longer period of time than home-cooked food. Additives are used so that these foods still have a consistently high quality. In some products, they are so essential that additives are used even in certain organic foods.

Additives are used in a range of foods

In some countries, lots of food is lost because it 'goes off' due to microbial growth before it can be eaten. Food poisoning also shows the dangers of contaminated food and without the use of preservatives, it would quite likely be more common. Preservatives, colours and flavours are the best known additives but in fact there are many categories of additives, each tailored to a specific purpose.

Science of Food Additives

Written by Adam Bronfin

Most of the stuff we've been posting has focused more on the non-science aspects of food additives but this article shows the actual chemistry. It goes through how emulsifiers work. Emulsifiers are molecules that have one end that is hydrophilic and one that is lipophilic. In other words one side likes to be in water and the other side likes to be in oil. It points to milk as an example of a natural emulsifier. The animation on the website are a great way to understand what is going on.

Article on Aspartame

Written by Adam Bronfin

Here is a great article about the effects of a specific drug, Aspartame, in foods we eat everyday. Its great for our topic because the chemistry is a key focus in the article. Specifically the releasing of methanol in canned food is analyzed. "At room temperature, it only takes one month for 10 percent of the methanol to be released. After about six months, virtually all of the methanol is liberated." The article also keeps the ideas relevent to normal life because it gives advice on how to keep the methanol in your body from turning into the more dangerous Formaldeyde, a cause of chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimers. Whats interesting about this, is that methyl alcohol reacts differently with animals metabolisms than with humans, so lab studies are difficult to do. Furthermore, the article gives the practical uses of Aspartame, its uses as a sweetener and just how prominent it is in our food, especially processed food.

Concern from the Professionals

Written by Jane Yoon

“Is it powerful enough that you want to ostracize your kid? It is very socially impacting if children can’t eat the things that their friends do.” - Dr. Thomas Spencer, a specialist in Pediatric Psychopharmacology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

What's more important: keeping your kids healthy or keeping them in their generation's "trend-flow"? It seems like an obvious answer but it actually is not so obvious, which is why it stirs controversy for people like Dr. Spencer. It is getting more and more difficult to find mass produced food with additives, whether it is to enhance flavor or preserve the food. What this article suggests is that additives do indeed cause hyperactivity and wavering concentration, but that was supported by only one experiment here. The author even admits that there could have been other variables but seeing as there was a significant drop in performance for the children who consumed additive filled drinks.

What does this say about the children of our society, or even us? Are we losing bits of our attention span because of the food we eat? But then again, we cannot simply rid of additives altogether and call it a success. The whole point of making them in the first place was for financial gain and the possibility of mass producing a food so that it would last long but still taste good. The existing food industry would fall into turmoil. You also cannot take away what was already there and widely accepted. People will not be calm about their favorite drinks and snacks being taken away. Hence, the issue of food additives is still debatable and a large concern for food agencies.

Cyanide in Food?

Interesting article, http://phys.org/news/2012-10-catalyst-amino-acid-precursors-cyanide.html. It shows how something poisonous can actually play a huge role in the preserving of foods.