It’s in many foods you may buy. Citric Acid. It sounds innocent enough but what is it really?….
This journey of mine has been about many things. It’s been about new experiences and explorations, travel and adventure, and it’s also been about health and well-being. For over ten years now I have been peeling back the layers of health and well-being and working on getting to the root of what helps me feel better. While traveling it’s been particularly important to feel my best in the midst of new challenges and foreign territory. So I’ve learned to pay close attention.
I’ve learned that what I put in my body really makes a big difference in how I feel. I’ve learned to take a closer look, read the labels, question what is in my food – and pay attention to the impact what I eat has on my mood and body. Enter Citric Acid.
Citric acid doesn’t sound too bad and may not get our attention if we see it in a food item’s ingredient list. I had always assumed it was “harmless” and of an “innocent nature” but one day I decided to take a closer look. Surely it comes from lemons or something like that?… While citric acid is naturally found in citrus fruits, most modern-day citric acid comes from a chemical process involving… MOLD.
According to the website ethicalfoods.com and many other sites as well, “American food chemist, James Currie, discovered a process for making citric acid from mold in 1917. Pfizer started to produce citric acid from molds in 1919.” The mold used is Aspergillus niger, a common black mold. This far less expensive process is commonplace and typically what you will find when you read “citric acid” in your favorite food ingredients.
The website newhope.com tells us “more than 1.6 million tons of citric acid are produced annually in the United States, with roughly two-thirds used in foods and beverages and the rest used in detergents, pharmaceuticals and supplements.”
Mold?… is that something you want in your body? This new information made sense to me. All too often I would eat something with healthy ingredients except for citric acid and found after eating it that I just didn’t feel right.
I have to admit I have given up citric acid begrudgingly at times – looking through the ingredient list in a favorite healthy treat finding quality ingredients only to be bombarded at the end with the final ingredient… citric acid. It’s used as a preservative so it’s common place in even healthy prepared selections.
Why avoid citric acid? If you struggle with any health issues – pain, discomfort, disease or mood and anxiety concerns – what you eat is always a good place to start to feel better. I have learned that paying attention to how I feel after I eat something is a big indicator for what works for me and what does not. So aside from the fact that it just doesn’t seem like a good idea to eat something derived from black mold, pay attention to how you feel next time after you eat something with citric acid.
With so many food products containing mold derived citric acid, how do you avoid it? Well the simplest thing is to prepare your own healthy foods and snacks. But I get it, sometimes we just want to grab something and go! When that’s the case your best option is to check out healthy local brands with a shorter shelf life, fresher ingredients and more likely to be prepared without preservatives.
The next time you are shopping for your favorite food items, take a look at the ingredients and when you see “citric acid” don’t think – “ah, lemons” think…”mold.”
Thanks for joining me on the journey of adventure, healing, health and well-being!
Gypsy Woman 