BVO (Brominated vegetable oil)

BVO (Brominated vegetable oil)

BVO (Brominated vegetable oil)

What is it:

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a food additive that is derived from vegetable oils and chemically modified with bromine atoms. It is primarily used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored soft drinks and sports drinks to help stabilize the flavoring oils and prevent their separation from the rest of the beverage. BVO allows the flavoring to remain uniformly distributed throughout the drink. BVO is produced by taking a vegetable oil, such as corn or soybean oil, and adding bromine atoms.

Rating:

BVO is banned in the EU because it contains bromine, the element found in brominated flame retardants, which has been shown to accumulate in the body upon consumption. Very high intakes of BVO have been linked to memory loss as well as skin and nerve problems, and organ damage. It was approved by the FDA in 1977, however, it has been added to the list of proposed banned ingredients in California’s bill AB 418.

Resources:

  1. BVO causes accumulation in fatty deposits around liver, heart, and kidney in rats (animal study)
  2. Bromine accumulates in the tissue of humans
  3. BVO has toxic cardiovascular effects in rats in a dose-dependent manner (animal study)
  4. BVO approved by FDA in 1977
  5. Rats fed high levels of BVO had behavioral and reproductive issues (animal study)
  6. Case report of a man experiencing headaches, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, and memory loss from extreme overconsumption of BVO
  7. California Assembly toxics panel advances landmark ban on chemicals in processed food

How we rate ingredients

Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:

Clean

It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.

Caution

It goes into one or more of the below categories

  • It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
  • It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)

We Avoid

It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)

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