12 Dangerous and Toxic Ingredients Still Used by the Golden Arches

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You probably know a lot of people like this: They claim that they only eat “healthy” food, but you still see them heading out to the Golden Arches for lunch at least several times a month. Oh yes, they do serve salads, but you rarely see anyone eating those salads from Mickey D’s, do you now?

We aren’t picking on the Golden Arches — almost all fast food chains are the same — but Mickey D’s is the largest of all the chains. Numerous research studies have shown that our modern day Westernized/fast food diet leads to numerous diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It really makes you sit back and wonder why it is that billions and billions of toxic, disease-filled meals are being served every day.

The two main things that seem to keep Mickey D’s in business are cheap prices and availability. There are Golden Arches in every country and, in America, on every street corner it seems. In some cases, it is actually understandable. In some locations, the Golden Arches offers a “family meal deal” of four large burgers, French fries, sodas (which are refilled for free), and chicken nuggets for the little ones for 10 bucks. If your family is on a tight budget, who could resist this kind of meal instead of heading down to Whole Foods and getting three large heads of organic broccoli for the same price?

Unfortunately, fast food places are aware of this, which is why they price a burger for $1.50, and a salad is $6. However, you have to ask yourself, is the low price you are paying now worth the health consequences and money you will have to pay later?

The world’s addiction to Mickey D’s is downright scary stuff, and since the chain isn’t going to disappear or go out of business anytime soon, then you should at least know some of the worst toxic ingredients that are found on every single Mickey D menu.

We didn’t make these things up — you can find all of these ingredients online at their website with a complete list of every single toxic ingredient that they use. There are plenty of toxins in their food to go around, but we have picked out 12 of the worst offenders. It’s hard to understand how, after reading this list, anyone could ever agree to eat this kind of junk again.

1. Sorbic Acid

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lists this chemical as a strong irritant. In large quantities, it can even cause damage to body tissues including the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Isn’t it nice to think of putting this kind of stuff in your mouth?

2. Dimethylpolysiloxane

First off, anything with a name that long has no business being in your food. This is an anti-foaming agent. Dimethylpolysiloxane is a type of silicone that is often used in cosmetics and things like Silly Putty. Have you ever considered eating your kids’ Silly Putty? Then why would anyone ever consider eating this at Mickey D’s?

3. Acrylamide

Although you might find a few of the menu items at the Golden Arches vary from country to country, there is one thing that is sold in every single location in every single country in the world: French fries. They’re sometimes served with salsa or gravy, but no matter what they might add to them, all French fries contain this one thing: Acrylamides. This isn’t something that the Golden Arches deliberately adds to their foods, like many other things. Instead, this comes as a result of frying at high temperatures. When it comes to frying potatoes, acrylamide levels tend to be higher than other foods. This chemical is on California’s Proposition 65 list, which means it has strong links to cancer, and it must be listed as such. This substance is listed as a chemical that is a human carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program. The length of time a food is fried can affect acrylamide levels. This means that if your French fries are cooked longer and their color is a darker shade of tan, then they will have a higher level of acrylamide than those cooked for a shorter period of time. Wouldn’t it make more sense if they called these things Cancer Fries, rather than French Fries?

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4. Tiertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)

Wow. That certainly is a mouthful, isn’t it? TBHQ is a chemical preservative that can be deadly at higher levels of consumption. A mere five grams will kill an adult human. One gram of this preservative can cause severe poisoning symptoms such as a feeling of suffocation, nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, even delirium and coma. This ingredient is why many of the foods at the Golden Arches never seem to get moldy or old-looking, no matter how long you leave them out. TBHQ is also a petroleum-derived product. Now doesn’t that sound appetizing?

5. Azodicarbonamide

This is a dough conditioner that is in every bread product sold at Mickey D’s. This is meant to improve the texture of the bread dough. Azodicarbonamide is also a foaming agent, commonly used in rubber products and plastics, as well as a common food additive. It is sometimes found in tobacco products as well. This substance has been known to cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to other types of AZO compounds, such as artificial food dyes. The Health and Safety Executive in England has identified this substance as being a respiratory sensitizer, which means it can increase the risk of developing asthma in children. Azodicarbonamide is banned in food products in many countries, such as in the European Union, Australia, and in the UK. Using Azodicarbonamide in food products in Singapore will get you a $450,000 fine and as long as 15 years in prison; however, it is alive and well in the US.

6. Guar Gum

Although banned by the FDA in large amounts due to numerous reports of swelling and obstruction in the esophagus and intestines, this substance is still being used in every bun sold.

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7. Trans-Fats

Although this is another ingredient that won’t show up on the list, it is there. Most Mickey D’s foods are made with a type of liquid margarine which contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil. (Soybean oil, by the way, is a GMO product). This type of oil is what is called partially hydrogenated oil, and all of these types of oil are very high in dangerous trans-fats. These types of fats greatly increase your risk of heart disease and of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as increasing your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes over time.

8. Ammonium Sulfate

You gotta love this one: Ammonium sulfate is a chemical byproduct of synthetic fiber production and of steel production. It used to be a very common source of lawn fertilizers until price increases starting in 2004 made it too expensive to be used on lawns. Not expensive enough to be used in the bread products sold at most fast food locations in America though.

9. Bleached White Flour

The flour used to make buns and other bread products is so incredibly white because of a substance called alloxan. Although alloxan is not technically added to the flour, it is a product of the decomposition of uric acid, which is a natural byproduct of the bleaching process. Alloxan (C4 H2O4N2) is actually a poison that is used to produce diabetes in otherwise healthy lab animals when they want to do research studies involving diabetics. If this substance is used to induce diabetes in lab animals, imagine what it is doing to your body.

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10. Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

This is another additive to the bread products, and it has been shown in studies to induce food intolerances in many people.

11. High Fructose Corn Syrup

Used in sodas, fruit pies, and ice cream toppings, high fructose corn syrup contains contaminants, including mercury, which are not measured or regulated in any way by the FDA. The corn that is used to make this sweetener comes from GM corn, which only makes this ingredient even more dangerous. High fructose corn syrup has been linked to numerous diseases, including cancer. The link between soda, which contains high levels of this toxic GMO sweetener, and cancer is absolutely undeniable.

12. Dextrose

This is a fancy name for plain old sugar. You will find dextrose listed on just about every product in Mickey D’s. It adds flavor and keeps you addicted to their foods so that you come back for more. Sugar is highly addictive, and it is one of the main causes of obesity and all the disease that go along with it.

Every single mouthful or swallow of food from the Golden Arches contains tons of chemicals that you would never consider eating if you were adding them to your homemade meals. These chemicals (and there are so many more than the 12 we have listed here) increase your risk of heart disease, greatly increase your bad cholesterol levels, increase your risk of developing diabetes, lower your immune system, and cause damage right down to our DNA.

Although there might be many things in our lives that are out of our control, but what we eat isn’t one of them. Make healthy food choices, for your sake, as well as your children’s sake.

References:

Resuscitationacademy.com

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ajcn.nutrition.org

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