Essay Sample on Effects of Food Additives on Pregnant and Lactating Mothers

Introduction

Over the years, the food industry has tremendously grown due to numerous advancements in technology. Consequently, new foods have been introduced into the markets thus creating a wide range of foods for consumers. Nonetheless, the exposure of pregnant and lactating mothers to different kinds of food additives in this critical period of their life could lead to long-term health hazards. Food additives can be defined as substances that are used for the preservation of color and flavor in foods without affecting the nutritional value of that particular food.

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Therefore in recent years, the rate at which pregnant and lactating mothers have consumed food additives has not been considered safe at all. In particular, recent evidence shows that the contents in food preservatives could lead to alterations of different kinds of cells within the body leading to the development of complications in older age. This paper, therefore, seeks to elucidate the numerous dangers associated with food additives more especially on pregnant and lactating mothers. On the other hand, it will outline numerous advantages of food additives in promoting food security all over the world.

To begin with, one of the main risks posed by the use of food preservatives and additives in food for lactating mothers is the loss of the nutritional value of the food. This consequently results in subclinical malnutrition as well as inappropriate diets. Despite lactating and pregnant women consuming foods they assume to be nutritious, they end up consuming the same food when it has lost its nutritional value due to the preservatives. It is important that during this time, the new mothers and the pregnant women consume food that will contribute to their overall health improvement as well as that of their children (Woolford 230).

The continued use of food additives may lead to malnutrition of either the baby or him mother in the following ways; the most prevalent substance in foods containing additives is high fat, sucrose and salt content. By definition, pure sucrose contains no form of nutrient and instead has fats and calories. Similarly, fats contain huge amounts of calories but very low nutritional value. Most foods containing additives and preservatives are usually processed foods. This, as a result, leads them to lose their nutritional value over the processing procedure (Woolford 230).

Therefore, although some minerals and vitamins are at times added to various foods after their processing, the required and recommended ratio of the nutrients to the calories is often inadequate leading up to low nutritional intake and high calories. This type of diet, therefore, my result in marginal malnutrition or subclinical malnutrition Russell 201).

Secondly, the health effects posed by food additives and preservatives not only affects the behavior of a person but also poses long-term health consequences on reproduction especially in women and on the future of an infant or an unborn child. Good maternal diet is of utmost importance in regards to the healthy development of the fetus in its mother's body, as well as a successful outcome of a pregnancy. For instance, the deficiency of folic acid in lactating and pregnant women has been linked to a condition known as spina bifida Russell 200).

On the other hand, zinc is involved in cell replication and differentiation. Therefore, a deficiency that may result from food processing through the use of preservation and preservatives may lead to numerous teratogenic and congenital malfunctions especially in lactating and pregnant mothers. Also, it may lead to premature deliveries and small gestation periods for the babies. Other serious effects that may be brought by food preservation and the addition of additives have been documented.

Thirdly, subclinical maternal malnutrition is another problem that has frequently been associated with the birth of infants with low birth weight. This further leads to numerous other negative effects on the future health of the baby. Infants that have over the years been born with low weight at birth have been proved to be more prone to cardiovascular diseases in their adult lives. They also tend to have high levels of cholesterol and serum concentration and suffer from diabetes mellitus as compared to others children whose mothers intake of processed food during their pregnancy was controlled.

Lactating mothers and pregnant mothers especially those experiencing subclinical maternal malnutrition may ave a condition where the brain of the child does not fully develop. The reduction in fetal brain development may thus consequently result in assorted intellectual disabilities. To further explain this point, the brain of the child develops much more rapidly than any other part of their body including internal body organs. As a matter of fact, by the time the mother is in her 20th week of pregnancy most of the neurons present in an adults brain tend to have already developed in the fetus. This is however excluding the cerebrum which takes much longer to develop but a shorter time to mature

Therefore if the maternal diet is insufficient regarding its nutritional value, the speedy development of the fetal brain may be slowed down leading to negative effects in the baby in the future (Russell 200). Even though it has been assumed that the brain might in future recover from nutritional deprivation that results from too much food processing and the addition of food additives and preservatives, it is not known for sure which parts of the brain are most crucial to a higher form of mental functioning (Russell 200).

Therefore, although there has been a lot of controversy regarding the effects of food additives especially in pregnant women and lactating mothers, for the most part, they are safe. There are several advantages associated with food additives for instance; the help reduces food waste by protecting it from going bad. According to estimations done by the Environmental Protection Agency, about 35 million tons of food gets thrown away by Americans every year. Therefore, when the shelf life of these foods is increased, the need to throw away spoilt food reduces.

Food additives and preservatives may also have nutritive values. For example, ascorbic acid commonly used in preserving food is a powerful antimicrobial and antioxidant that is often added to carbonated drinks and bacon. Ascorbic acid becomes an essential part of the human died because, commonly known as vitamin C, it can protect the food from going bad and also provide nutritional requirement.

One of the most important benefits of food preservatives is ensuring food safety. Most living and natural microorganisms have the capability of producing contaminants that increase the risks of infections and diseases. This is the reason why it is difficult to hear of a person who has fallen il because of consuming milk or eating a sausage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, therefore, as seen from this document, it is evident that food preservatives and additives may pose serious health effects on pregnant and lactating women especially regarding nutrients intake. For this reason, pregnant and lactating women ought to be careful when choosing what to eat. As such they should avoid processed food as much as possible until after the baby has been born. On the other hand, food additives and preservatives have numerous advantages such as ensuring food safety provision of nutritive values and preventing wastage of food by protecting it from going bad.

Work Cited

Russell, A. D. "Mechanisms of bacterial resistance to nonantibiotics: Food additives and food and pharmaceutical preservatives." Journal of Applied Bacteriology 71.3 (1991): 191-201.

Woolford, Michael K. "Microbiological screening of food preservatives, cold sterilants and specific antimicrobial agents as potential silage additives." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 26.2 (1975): 229-237.