At Caña Nature we produce fresh products with natural foods from the Costa Tropical of Granada.

One of the main reasons why our customers choose these products is that we do not use preservatives or additives (no E), in order to keep all the nutrients intact, with their natural taste, smell, texture and even colour.

But in addition to these reasons, we exclude additives in our recipes, because they are harmful to health.

What are food additives?

Additives are substances placed in food products in order to keep them fresh for longer, to improve their taste or to modify some of their properties.

What types of additives can we find?

We differentiate between natural additives and artificial additives. The former are those that are present in nature and that usually provide energy value to our organism.

For example, vinegar, salt or vanilla are natural additives. Excessive use of these additives can also cause health problems.

Artificial additives, on the other hand, are chemically synthesised and then added to the food. Here we can find a wide variety, from saccharin to vanillin, acetals, etc.

It is also very common to identify the type of additive based on the effect it can have on the food it modifies:

• Acidulants: Increase the acid taste.
• Antifoaming agents: Reduce foaming.
• Antioxidants: Prevent oxidation of the food and thus make it last longer.
• Colouring agents: Modify the colour of a food.
• Solvents: They thin the consistency of a food.
• Thickeners: Increase viscosity.
• Gelling agents: They increase the density of a liquid food.

Effects of additives on our health

When we say that additives can have a detrimental effect on health, we cannot generalise.

Some additives such as natural additives, consumed in moderation, can even be beneficial in some cases. Similarly, some artificial additives are harmless.

The problem lies in those that cause harmful consequences in our organism and habits, even causing serious health problems.

Some of the negative effects of consuming products with additives are the following:

• Alterations in chromosomes.
• Anaemia.
• Asthma.
• Blocking of cellular oxidation.
• Muscle pains.
• Constipation.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Promotion of obesity.
• Promotion of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Intoxication.
• Migraine headaches.
• Nausea.
• Circulatory problems.
• Skin problems such as rashes or eczema.
• Allergic reactions

The occurrence of these health effects depends on the presence of the additives in each product ingested, on the consumption of these products and on each person’s own organism.

However, as recommended by health specialists, the ideal is to reduce as much as possible the consumption of products with additives and preservatives (which can also cause other problems), opt for meals free of these substances and recipes made only with natural, fresh foods, without additives or preservatives such as those offered by Caña Nature.