Topic: What does Crystalline fructose do to you?

[VANGUARD]

who are you talking to?

[Kaiaatzl]

At first I was responding to Texace's comment about salt, and then I thought I was talking to you.
And I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything about any government.

Last post I was going to ask you the same question, but I got a little bit offended.  I can see how you might have thought I was talking about government though.  If you weren't actually responding to that post I apologize.
For the record I was talking about buying food, especially if you don't have much money.

But if I found a live tumor in my meat I'd be pretty freaked out too.

[VANGUARD]

I apologize, I should have quoted the person that brought up the government stuff. I can understand the confusion, sorry again.

[CrazyEnzo03]

eh, my point is that manufactured doesn't automatically mean bad for you and natural doesn't automatically mean good for you.  Processed cheese is still better for you than all-natural cyanide XD.  The process of evaporation that separates sea salt from water also separates everything else that was dissolved in the water.  So either it's chemically sanitized or when you eat all-natural sea salt you're also eating all-natural dolphin pee and other things.  Either way it's not so simple.

My other point is that Sodium Chloride itself -- not counting additives -- is just as good for you no matter where it comes from, because it doesn't have any molecular differences from place to place, like living things do.

When using salt in a neti pot you need to use store-bought non-iodized salt or some that you can get from a pharmacy, because in sea salt you have the risk of traces of algae being left over in the sea salt.

Edibility is fine, but just saying, it's there.

Something that gets me is Natural vs. Artificial flavoring.  It is the exact same chemical in the end, just obtained in a different way and applied to food in the same manner.  Artificial flavors actually almost guarantee there are no trace amounts of other substances in the flavoring, while in natural flavors there can be such substances.  In some cases, these substances can be poisonous, but generally not enough to dangerously harm you (a couple of drops of a flavor chemical is enough to strongly flavor all of the water in a hotel swimming pool).  Yet natural flavors sell for more because of the word "natural."

[Kaiaatzl]

Well to be sure that the artificial things are 100% safe it's really important to know how it's made.  In a perfect system where you could get every element in a neat little plastic bag and all you'd need to do is combine them it wouldn't be a worry but most people who've taken grade 11 chemistry know it doesn't work that way (although sometimes we don't know we know it! ) and for companies cost is a big big issue too.  The easiest way to create any salt is a neutralization reaction.  The easiest way to create table salt is by combining hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide and then evaporating the water.  But you'd better make sure all the equipment is working properly and everyone in the plant is paying attention to their work or you've got stomach acid in your sodium chloride and if you've ever had a really bad flu where you're vomiting nothing but bile and stomach acid, you might think that's worse than eating all-natural dolphin pee.  Or not.  Up to you.

But that's why we have health inspectors.  Well, at least Canada does right now.

[Scyphi]

Oh yeah, if you thought the state of food production is in anyway bad now, compare it to how it was done back in the late nineteenth, early twentieth century, when all that was just beginning to become industrialized and before we had all of this regulation. *shudders* I'll take today's food production practices over that any day, thank you very much. 

[Kaiaatzl]

In the meantime (well, not the nineteenth century meantime ) many of the same companies are still capitalizing on this by selling anything they deem "natural" for a good deal more money because they know people will pay for it.  Sort of like what Enzo said about flavouring.

[Scyphi]

But that's why we have health inspectors.  Well, at least Canada does right now.

US has health inspectors too, and at least some of them are doing their job, as you hear about companies getting caught cutting corners every now and then.

Unfortunately, this brings to mind the perhaps biggest downside to capitalism. The faster you can get your product out into the market, the more you can dominate the market, and the more you can dominate the market, the more money you get. When adhering to the rules, there's little wrong with this usually, but the greedy often get it in their heads that if they cut corners, they can produce more goods, thereby more profit, and that's when we start getting into things like this health issues/violations that gets everybody into trouble.

And anyway, it doesn't really matter to the sellers if it's good for people or not. If people are willing to buy lots and lots of it, they're going to sell lots and lots of it, and consequences overlooked. How do you think the cigarette market got to be so successful, even still today, despite the growing awareness that smoking is seriously bad for your health?

[VANGUARD]

And anyway, it doesn't really matter to the sellers if it's good for people or not. If people are willing to buy lots and lots of it, they're going to sell lots and lots of it, and consequences overlooked. How do you think the cigarette market got to be so successful, even still today, despite the growing awareness that smoking is seriously bad for your health?

I agree that people will buy what they want, despite what warnings they are given. maybe I'm wrong, but it's the warnings that SHOULD be there, that aren't.
Aspartame is not good. It's very harmful, but they don't warn you that, no. They don't just have aspartame in some horribly obvious bad food/drink, they have it in what? Crystal Light, something that is advertised to be "healthy".

That's what I don't like. I know pop is bad. I try to limit it. I thought Crystal Light was healthy, and a good chance to get off pop, it turned out horrible, as my anxiety shot through the roof multiple times.

[Kaiaatzl]

Well I meant that the health inspectors in the US have now been furloughed because of the government shutdown.  Or at least that's what I'd heard.

[Alieo]

speaking of government, just got a letter in the mail today that i have to pick Obamacare or be penalized. not doing anything wrong, but will be fined.

Take the fine! That's what I'm doing... For my income bracket, which is a 28 year old male making under $25K per year, the LOWEST end of the bronze Obamacare plan will cost me a staggering $250 per month... $250! I mean, hell, I can't even afford to move out on my own yet, let alone THAT extra payment. That'll cost me $3K per year! F*** that! The penalty for me is gonna be $145 annually. I'm healthy, and don't need to see the damn doctor for anything! Screw Obama(un)care!

[Matthew]

Well I meant that the health inspectors in the US have now been furloughed because of the government shutdown.  Or at least that's what I'd heard.

Inspectors are generally not federal employees, so I doubt it.

[Scyphi]

A lot of the workers have found loopholes in the shutdown so to be able to go back to work in the meantime anyway, so there's that too.

[VANGUARD]

Whether one likes Obama or not is one thing, but Obamacare is wrong. This is an invasion on our own freedom. It's our own responsibility/choice on if we want health care.

[Kaiaatzl]

Wow.  I don't even know where to start.
But I told myself I wouldn't get involved in this debate.  No matter how tempting it is.