What is it about Chick-fil-A’s classic chicken sandwiches that makes them so tasty and almost addicting?- Some may argue that it’s because of their crispy coating while others may claim it has to be their yummy sauces.
However, the truth is that all of these sandwiches contain one ingredient inside that is causing you to come back for more. This ingredient is known as MSG which is short for monosodium glutamate.
MSG is a flavor enhancer that has been used in processed foods in America since WW II. But, this is one of the most dangerous food additives out there.
According to the FDA, the body uses glutamate, an amino acid, as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain. Other tissues in the body are also responsive to glutamate.
The abnormal function of the glutamate receptors has been associated with some neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s chorea. In studies done with lab animals, glutamate injections have led to damage in their nerve brain cells.
Glutamate Activity Is Harmful for the Brain
According to science, a higher glutamate activity in the brain is harmful and it may also contribute to higher levels of glutamate in the blood. In one study, a big dose of MSG elevated blood levels by 556 percent.
Another study found that high levels of MSG were associated with serious effects in fruit flies and caused premature death in a major part of them.
Although Chick-fil-A doesn’t need all of these toxic ingredients to make sandwiches, they keep using them so that they make their food more addictive and ensure people keep buying them.
Chick-fil-A’s Website Claims These Are the Ingredients in their Chicken Sandwiches
Here are the ingredients listed on Chick-fil-A’s website that are included in their chicken sandwiches:
- Soybean oil
- Monosodium glutamate
- Sodium aluminum phosphate
- Dimethylpolysiloxane (an anti-foaming chemical)
- Soy lecithin
- Ammonium sulfate
- Yellow 5
- Blue 1
- Polysorbate 80
- Potassium sorbate
The Most Toxic Ingredients in Chick-fil-A’s Chicken Sandwiches
- If ingested, calcium chloride can cause mouth and throat burns, stomach aches, low blood pressure
- Yellow 5 has been linked with behavioral problems like depression, irritability, and restlessness. More than 15 studies done on it concluded that artificial dyes have been linked with hyperactivity in children
- Potassium sorbate is a preservative that’s used in different foods like cheese, wine, dips, pickles, yogurt, dried meats, and soft drinks. In a 2002 study published in the journal Toxicity in Vitro, it was found that human blood cells mutated and had DNA damage from exposure to potassium sorbate
- Blue 1 is a dangerous artificial dye that has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and it can lead to hyperactivity and overactivity, behavioral and learning issues, and stunted growth in children
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