Full list of foods that contain dangerous ingredient that causes sudden feinting
Hundreds of common foods in the US contain an additive linked to a mysterious illness in children.
Tortillas, spices, salad dressings, gum, protein bars and other items contain glycerol, a naturally occurring alcohol and sugar substitute added to foods to help them stay soft, moist, or keep them from getting too hot or cold.
Once ingested, it absorbs water and sugar from the bloodstream before the liver and kidneys can break them down.
While adults can generally break down glycerol without issues, the additive can cause severe effects in children.
Experts in the UK warned this week that children consuming glycerol may suffer a dangerous reaction called glycerol intoxication syndrome.
Writing in a medical journal, doctors warned nearly all of the 21 children they looked at were sickened within an hour of drinking a slushie, developing low blood sugar – hypoglycemia – and low potassium, causing them to become drowsy or pass out.
The study authors urged health authorities to update their warnings about children consuming glycerol. Though the experts only looked at children in the UK, glycerol has been found in a number of American staples.
Health experts have issued a warning about slushies that may cause glycerol intoxication in children (stock image)
The smaller bodies of children are unable to process glycerol quickly enough, causing it to build up over time.
In mild cases, this loss of water and sugar can lead to signs of dehydration like headaches and nausea.
But in rare cases it can cause hypoglycemia, a low blood sugar condition usually associated with diabetes which leads to trembling, dizziness, seizures and, in worst-case scenarios, coma.
The reaction can also send kids’ bodies into shock, where the circulatory system that pumps oxygen-rich blood around the body fails and prevents vital organs from functioning.
Signs of shock include having pale, cold, clammy skin, as well as sweating, rapid or shallow breathing, weakness or dizziness, nausea and possible vomiting, extreme thirst, and yawning and sighing.
Glycerol may also be labelled as glycerin, glycerine, 1,2,3-propanetriol, glycyl alcohol, or trihydroxypropane.
Along with slushies, many flour and corn tortillas may also contain glycerol to sweeten and help keep them fresh.
Glycerol also helps retain moisture within the tortilla, preventing it from drying out and becoming hard or brittle.
In the US, Old El Paso and La Tortilla Factory are two brands that use glycerol, according to the ingredient database TrueFood.
Glycerol is also part of what makes chewing gum chewy.
Most gums contain glycerol and the emulsifier lecithin. These additives don’t change the taste, but they help gum maintain its texture.
Emulsifiers, meanwhile, have been linked to health issues like colon cancer by spurring harmful inflammation in the gut.
Extra, Orbit, and 5 Gum are several of the best-known brands in the US that contain glycerol.
Glycerol may also be found in dessert products like icing or ice cream. It helps keep icing shiny while preventing ice crystals from forming on ice cream.
Cool Haus and Beckon ice cream brands contain glycerol.
Glycerol may be added to some flour and corn tortillas to keep them from becoming too hard or brittle (stock image)
Even some salad dressings and sauces use glycerol to keep them smooth and consistent and add flavor (stock image)
Additionally, the additive is used as a preservative in cereal and granola bars like Clif, Luna, Nature Valley, and Target’s Good & Gather.
Condiments and are another sneaky food glycerol could be lurking in. Sauces, jams, and even salad dressings may contain glycerol to help them smooth and consistent.
Glycerol also adds sweetness to products like Good & Gather’s Organic Applesauce Pouches and Siete’s hot sauce.
The additive may also get put into some spices to act as a sweetener and humectant, which keeps them from drying out.
Glycerol also acts as a humectant in canned foods like Amy’s soups. It may also change the flavor or color of these foods.
