Health Fitness

Most salad dressings contain MSG, trans fatty acids, and refined sugars – yours?

Most bottled salad dressings contain MSG, trans fatty acids, and / or are high in sugar, corn syrup, or other refined sugars, none of which are good for your health.

MSG in salad dressings

Store-bought salad dressings almost always contain MSG, which is a brain neurotoxin. Not only has MSG been shown to cause neurological and other problems, and that’s reason enough to stay away from it, but MSG also seems to make you fat! In laboratory experiments, scientists induce obesity in laboratory animals by feeding them MSG. Almost all processed and packaged foods, including salad dressings, contain MSG, even if it is not clearly indicated on the label. In fact, salad dressings, soups, and sauces often contain quite high amounts. So check their labels for MSG and MSG, as well as natural flavors, hydrolyzed and textured proteins, and autolyzed yeast, which almost always contain MSG.

Trans Fatty Acids in Salad Dressings

Salad dressings that are not fat-free often contain highly processed and often rancid oils and sources of trans fatty acids. Producers can legally say that their product does NOT contain trans fatty acids if the level is below 5 grams per serving, so you can actually consume quite a bit of trans fatty acids over the course of a day with products that supposedly do not contain trans fatty acids . Authorities have said that NO level of trans fatty acids is safe. In addition, researchers know very well that vegetable oils reduce immune function, which is why they are given to transplant patients to reduce their immune function enough that their body does not reject the foreign organ.

Refined sugars in salad dressings

Additionally, store-bought salad dressings typically contain refined sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup, as well as many other chemicals used as stabilizers, preservatives, artificial colors, and more. Fat-free dressings are likely to contain much higher amounts of sugar than those that contain fat. Here are a couple of ingredient labels for two common salad dressings:

Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients: Soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, water, pickle seasoning, vinegar, tomato paste, salt, dried egg yolk, derived from algin and xanthan gum (for consistency), mustard flour, flavors natural (almost always contains MSG and is far from natural despite the name), dried onion, spices, calcium disodium EDTA (to preserve freshness).

Fat Free Ranch Dressing Ingredients (Fat Free and Cholesterol Free): Water, corn syrup, cultured low-fat buttermilk, vinegar, garlic juice, cellulose gel, sugar, salt, skim milk, sour cream (dry), onion (dry), xanthan gum, maltodextrin, MSG with Potassium calcium disodium sorbate EDTA as preservatives, lactic acid, natural flavoring (almost always contains MSG), propylene glycol alginate, cultured skim milk (dry), artificial coloring, phosphoric acid, lemon concentrate, green onion (dry), spices , Dl-alpha tocopherol juice acetate (synthetic vitamins E)

Homemade salad dressings are a more nutritious addition to your diet

Homemade salad dressings can add many nutrients to your diet, such as essential fatty acids and vitamins and antioxidants in the form of herbs, and the fat in them can help your body absorb nutrients from your food. We recommend using pure and real ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed walnut oil, and buttermilk for your homemade dressings. Even the highly touted canola oil has been shown to have problems – it contributes to vitamin E deficiency and goes rancid easily. This means that it is often deodorized to mask the musty odor, and this process creates trans fatty acids.

Karen’s French Dressing

1 garlic clove (minced)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons miso (optional)

2 tablespoons organic balsalmic vinegar

1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

Chop the garlic in a mini blender, then add the mustard (and optional miso, if using) and vinegar and mix well. Add the olive oil and mix until creamy. You can add fresh herbs if you have, and also a little water if it’s too thick. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Karen’s Homemade Ranch Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1 teaspoon dried chives (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1/2 teaspoon dried onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried garlic powder (or 1 clove, crushed)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (optional)

Whisk together all the ingredients and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. If you like your dressing thicker, try using sour cream instead of the buttermilk. If you like it thinner, try 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 3/4 cup buttermilk. Enjoy!

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