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Gatorade Thirst Quencher Orange Has A Lot In Common With Flame Retardants

By

Nell Casey

Published Dec 13, 2012

Modified Dec 13, 2012

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Was there really any doubt?

 

nycjournal/Flickr

By

Nell Casey

Published Dec 13, 2012

Modified Dec 13, 2012

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First came diarrhea-inducing sushi and now it's psychosis-inducing Gatorade. Today the Times took a look into Brominated Vegetable Oil, a bromine-based substance used in citrus sports and soft drinks to evenly distribute the fruit flavoring. The additive is used in 10% of beverages in the United States—including Gatorade Thirst Quencher Orange, Powerade Strawberry Lemonade, Mountain Dew, Fresca and Fanta Orange—and is also found in flame retardants, pesticides, hot tub and swimming pool treatments and plastics. So…why are we drinking this stuff again?

When ingested, bromine displaces iodine in your body, which your thyroid depends upon to function properly. Decreased thyroid efficiency can lead to hypothyroidism-like symptoms—fatigue, joint/musicle pain, depression, constipation, and so on—and iodine deficiency can lead to an increased risk for breast, thyroid, ovary and prostate cancers. If you need more evidence for why you should put down the fucking Gatorade, check out some of the charming side effects from consuming large quantities of B.V.O.:

Do you hear that electrolyte junkies? Your sports drink is literally making you crazy.

Brominated Vegetable Oil has already been banned for food use in European Union countries and Japan, and even though debates about its safety have been happening in the U.S. for the past three decades, the substances continues to make its way into drinks. The F.D.A. removed B.V.O. from its list of substances "generally recognized as safe" in 1970 but because of a "loophole that swallowed the law," the substance continues to be used in beverage manufacturing. Even more alarming, "about 10,000 chemicals are allowed to be added to foods, about 3,000 of which have never been reviewed for safety by the F.D.A.," according to the Times. Bottom line: just stick to our city's delicious tap water for your hydration needs. Unless…

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brominated vegetable oil

bromine

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we're all going to die

Nell Casey

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