TBHQ: What It Is And Why You Should Avoid It

The way to go when concerned about a product is to brace yourself and look through the ingredients. Suppose you’re reading the ingredients and you come across this on the list: TBHQ. Have you seen that before? I know I have! Nowadays, you’ll find it in everything from crackers to chips to fast foods.

So what exactly is TBHQ?

TBHQ is short for tertiary butylhydroquinone (and with a name that long we should wonder more about it). It is similar to butane, a lighter fluid. Would you really want to eat that? Well , I know I don’t, and neither should you! It’s used as a chemical to help preserve the life of foods. No wonder why convenient boxed foods have such long shelf lives these days!

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) allows only up to 0.02% of total oils in food to be of TBHQ. Now that might not sound like much, but an amount that small really leaves room for thought.

If a gram of TBHQ is consumed it may cause a bad reaction in the body, and about five grams at a time can be fatal. Known side effects include nausea, ringing in the ears, and vomiting. Yikes!

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Let’s think of this. TBHQ is found in many items in your life other than food. Here is a list of just a few:

• Varnishes
• Lacquers
• Hair and Skin Products
• Paint Products

Now you need to ask yourself, “Do I really want this in my body?”. So this is why it’s important for us to be diligent and read labels!

I hope I’ve opened your eyes to the dangers of just one of the MANY chemicals in our foods.