Before you read, just remember, you’ve consumed most of these products and you’re still here!  Now read on and decide how much time you think you have.

1. Cellulose

Most often found in cheese, but also increasingly in everything from bread to low-fat ice cream. And that’s fine, so long as you’re okay with eating sawdust!  Cellulose is indigestible to humans and provides no calories.

2. Titanium Dioxide

Titanium Dioxide, also known in the food industry as E171, can be found in coffee creamer, salad dressing, and anything else you might want to look a little bit whiter. Because titanium dioxide is so good at reflecting light, it makes very effective white paint. And since it also blocks out the ultraviolet spectrum, it also turns up in toothpaste.

3. Lanolin

Lanolin is a waxy secretion that’s produced by sheep to prevent water from sticking to their wool. It is also found in hand cream and lip balm. It’s so good at softening things, in fact, that it’s probably found its way into your mouth before now, riding on the back of a stick of chewing gum.

4. Silicon Dioxide

Silicon Dioxide is a smart name for sand, the kind you might find at the beach. When added to your food it helps keep powdered products like soup, coffee creamer, and salt from clumping together. The reason? Sand is better at absorbing moisture than the food it’s added to.

5. Shellac

Shellac is a popular wood finish was used to make vinyl records in the 1950s. Shellac is actually an excretion of the female lac bug, which uses it to create tunnels on tree branches. It is commonly used on the outside of pills and fruit, not to mention adding the shine to your favorite flavor of jelly beans.

Number 9  on our list takes out so many things that we ingest on a daily basis. To see what it is and what contains it please keep reading.

Next Page »