What do orange soda, baked goods and flame retardants have in common?
Your thyroid gland is counting on you to stay away from this toxin
I happened upon an article by Travelalot.com about popular US foods that are banned in other countries - including Mt. Dew, Ritz crackers, Coffee Mate, sugar cane and many others - I don’t eat many of these foods anyway, so I didn’t really care until I saw bread on the list!
Potassium bromate is added to bread.. At first I thought.. “ok its just white sliced bread that has added chemicals sprayed on it, I’m fine since I bake my own bread” but then I realized that it is the flour that has the bromate added to it, so not only is this ingredient found in anything prepackaged and made with flour, but it is also found in just plain flour - unless specified otherwise.
Potassium bromate (bromate) is a flour conditioner added to strengthen dough, make baked goods rise higher in the oven, and enhance their texture. The EWG counts at least 180 products containing potassium bromate, including many packaged breads, dumplings, pastries, crackers, tortillas, English muffins, pizza crust…basically anything made with wheat flour.
Health Impact
Potassium bromate is neurotoxic to humans and carcinogenic to rodents, it is currently classified “possible human carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A carcinogen is any substance that promotes cancer in the body by altering cellular metabolism or damaging DNA directly. Potassium bromate is commonly used in hair perm neutralizing solutions and dying of textiles using sulfur dies.
In lab animal testing, bromate has been shown to encourage growth of tumors in the thyroid, perotenium and kidney’s. Bromate is highly oxidative and produces free radicals in the body when ingested, these free radicals damage DNA, disrupt tissues and organ function and play a role in the development of cancers. There is a dose response relationship observed, meaning the more it’s ingested, the worse the damage.
The use of potassium bromate in bread products has been banned in the UK, EU, Canada, China, Argentina, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Brazil and the state of California requires a warning label on any product that contains it, however no other states have made any action on it.
The FDA argument remains that during the baking process, the bromate is converted into bromide - a similar yet not as toxic substance - so long as the exact amount of bromate is used and the proper cooking time and temperature is adhered to. A UK study found that this carcinogen can survive the cooking process in about 30% of packaged breads and 100% of unwrapped breads. Besides, hasn’t anyone ever eaten raw cookie dough?
Why is bromate added to bread?
Back in the day, after wheat flour was milled it was left out to “age” and interact with oxygen for a period of time until the flavor of the flour was improved and the color turned from grayish to white.
With the industrial revolution came also the popularity of quick convenient baked goods, especially after the invention of sliced bread in the 1930’s. Enter chemical shortcuts to the natural aging process of flour with the use of bromate and other bleaching agents. Note only does bromate bleach the flour a stark white - it is a potent oxidizer - but it also makes the resulting bread rise higher and have a more stable structure.
Some companies sell non-brominated flour. Un-brominated is not the same thing as un-bleached and un-bleached flour may still be brominated.
Bromine can severely effect Thyroid funciton.
The ingestion or absorption of bromines into the body results in a displacement of the trace mineral iodine, which can cause issues.
Bromine blocks the production of thyroid hormones which can help explain why thyroid dysfunction is at an all-time high in the US. Nearly 5 out of 100 people 12 years of age or older have an under-active thyroid in the US, a condition seen most commonly in women.
Levothyroxine, a synthetic hormone prescription drug for hypothyroidism, was the 2nd most commonly prescribed medication in the US in 2020.
Bromine also may interfere with iodine’s ability to prevent breast cancer. Most Americans are not getting enough iodine in their diet and are suffering from bromine exposure. Iodine is part of the halogen family - fluorine, chlorine and bromine are all a part of this family as well - these other family members compete for the same receptors that iodine uses and thyroid function severely suffers as a result.
The thyroid is crucial for…
Regulating body temperature.
Influencing heart rate and rhythm.
Helping with maturation of brain and growth development in children.
Improving concentration and faster reflexes through the nervous system.
Providing proper metabolism and energy levels
Other sources of bromine exposure
Tap water
Potassium bromate is a by-product of drinking water disinfection, either in water that has been ozonated or from the hypochlorite solutions used to sanitize the water. Apparently, the amount is usually negligible, but when you consider all the possibilities for exposure it really adds up.
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
Another version of bromine is found in the form of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) which is a highly processed vegetable oil used in many citrus flavored sodas and drinks to make the citrus flavor oils more water soluble. This ingredient is banned in the EU, Japan and India - hence the reason why Mountain Dew was banned in these countries - except Mt Dew has announced their phase out of BVO in 2020. BVO is still unfortunately used in many sodas on the American market including Sun Drop and the knockoff brands from walmart and dollar stores.
Drinking BVO containing sodas can cause headaches, skin and mucous membrane irritation, loss of muscle coordination and memory.
Swimming pools & Spas
Many pools & spas are treated with bromine which can readily absorb through the skin and cause malfunctioning of the nervous system, and damage to the thyroid gland and DNA. Even pools with proper bromine levels can cause rashes, irritation, burns, trouble breathing, cough, gastrointestinal distress, itchy eyes, and dizziness.
Pesticides
Methyl bromide was once a very common pesticide before it was banned. However, there are exceptions to the ban and it is still to this day used in global horticultural trade to prevent pests from crossing borders. It is used to fumigate the soil of strawberry fields. Methyl bromide is extremely toxic to the kidney’s, respirator, nervous system and showed a direct dose response relationship with prostate cancer risk.
Flame retardants
Brominated flame retardants are applied to furniture, clothing, curtains, mattresses, carpets, electronics, etc. Children exposed to these compounds have a lower IQ, increased risk of cancer, disruption of thyroid function and poorer social skills. Flame retardants are one of the reasons why firefighters tend to have a higher incidence of cancer than the general population.
What to do?
The Center for Occupational & Environmental Medicine recommends a few simple ways to excrete bromine from the body;
take epsom salt baths
sweat in a sauna
increase vitamin C intake
check your iodine levels
Drinking Mullein tea also may assist in enhancing thyroid function and help detox the body of toxins.
One of the simplest ways to limit bromate exposure in your food is to make your own…
I would like to share one of my favorite simple recipes to make a pizza crust, I just love making my own because then I know what’s in it and can use any flour I want.
Rye flour pizza crust
If you like a soft, thick crust pizza… this one is for you!
Ingredients…
1 cup warm water (about 105-110 F)
2 ½ tsp dry active yeast (1 packet)
8 Tbs medium wheat flour (non brominated)
8 Tbs Rye flour
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp finely chopped fresh garlic or garlic powder
(pizza toppings)
Here’s how…
In the large mixing bowl, add warm water, yeast and honey and stir gently. Allow this mixture to sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast becomes activated and looks frothy.
Add the 8 Tbs of medium wheat flour and stir until combined. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
After an hour, lift the cloth and add the remainder of the ingredients and stir for about 1 minute until well combined. The dough should be soft enough to mix with the spoon, but you may need to use your hands. The finished dough should be sticky and soft.
Now transfer the dough to what it will be baked in. I used my cast iron dutch oven. The cast iron should be preheated in the oven at 350F if using the oven. If cooking on the fire, there is no need to preheat. With either method, pour a splash of oil into the pan before adding the dough.
Add pizza toppings of your choice and bake in the oven at 350F for about15 minutes, then broil at 400F for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice with the pizza cutter and enjoy!
If using the fire, cover your pizza with a cast iron lid and place over the fire for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Enjoy!
Thank you for reading.
~Julia Cloud