Ketchup is a spicy sauce based on tomatoes and vinegar which is used in almost every country in the world. People use it in pizza, fries, scrambled eggs, pasta, chicken, sandwiches, and many other foods. Obviously, there are dozens of different ketchup brands out there, but Heinz is one of the most popular ketchups of all time.
Even though so many people use this condiment, the truth is that only a small number of them are familiar with the nutritional value of this product.
Once people learn what’s in it, they usually reduce the amount of ketchup they use. This is especially true when it comes to Heinz ketchup.
Learn More About the Ingredients
This is the right time to get informed. Simply take a close look at the ingredients listed on the bottle of your Heinz ketchup. This is where you will find a list of ingredients:
- Distilled vinegar
- Tomato concentrate made from ripe red tomatoes
- High fructose corn syrup
- Spices
- Salt
- Natural flavoring
- Onion powder
We can all agree that the list doesn’t sound very attractive. According to the manufacturer, the Heinz ketchup comes with a high amount of tomato concentrate and a low amount of natural flavoring.
What is interesting is that Heinz is doing their best to promote their products as healthy, but they are really bad at it. For instance, the tomato concentrate made of red ripe tomatoes mentioned on the label is a beautified term that stands for heavily processed tomatoes that are deprived of all their nutrients. The ripe red phrase is here to mask this fact. Heinz just uses complex phrases to deceive customers. The same goes for corn syrup which is not different than ordinary high fructose corn syrup.
As a matter of fact, this is a clever trick because more and more people are becoming aware of the negative effects of some ingredients, so if the manufacturer provides these ingredients on a list with different names they might confuse them. If they list the ingredients depending on the amount found in the product people will start avoiding these products because the truth is that Heinz ketchup has a huge amount of high fructose corn syrup.
And when it comes to salt, it seems that Heinz relies on a very cheap kind of salt that was associated with hypertension, blood toxicity, and mineral deprivation when taken frequently. No one is really sure what natural flavoring stands for on this label.
So, if you are consuming just one tablespoon of this ketchup, you are actually talking about seven percent of the daily allowed sugar intake and a huge amount of salt. Keep in mind that we are talking about one tablespoon of this ketchup. When people eat burgers they use at least a couple of tablespoons.
Three Good Reasons Why You Should Avoid Heinz Ketchup
No. 1 – The presence of high fructose corn syrup
As we have mentioned before, high fructose corn syrup is the main ingredient in Heinz ketchup. Numerous studies have shown that this ingredient is very toxic. The manufacturers use GMO corn to make this ingredient. The syrup increases the levels of blood sugar and has a negative impact on the liver. Some tests suggest that syrup can trigger obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and many other health issues.
This is something that many people know, but the following information will probably be new even to them – not a while ago, a reputable researcher that works for the FDA was denied access to a sample of high fructose corn syrup from the manufacturer so the researcher another company for the tests. Once this test was finished, she found that the syrup is packed with mercury. Shocking isn’t it? Mercury is a very toxic metal that can damage the nervous system, brain and it has been associated with autism too.
In case your kid enjoys ketchup, try to find some safe alternatives.
No. 2 – Sugar and distilled vinegar
We all know how unhealthy salt can be especially when it’s used in products like this one. In addition, distilled vinegar is nothing like the ordinary vinegar that we use in salads and soups. This vinegar is made from genetically modified corn loaded with chemicals. Distilled vinegar is harmful and when it is mixed with high fructose corn syrup the situation is even worse.
No. 3 – Lack of nutritional value
Heinz ketchup doesn’t contain any minerals, protein, or fiber. The fact is that there is two percent of vitamin C and vitamin A, but these amounts are useless and can’t eliminate the effects of salt and sugar.
Stay Away from Heinz Ketchup If You Care About Your Health
We know that this might be difficult for some people, but it doesn’t have to be like that. The fact is that the market is loaded with other ketchup that contains healthy, organic ingredients and tastes fantastic. Don’t forget that you can always prepare ketchup at your home.
Via Mukah Pages | Dr. Mercola | Dr. Hyman
