What type of chemical are bha and bht

V5 [8] Headaches: Bingham, E. V5 [9] Hives: Bingham, E. V5 [10] Rashes: Bingham, E. Welcome to the NakedPoppy Blog We make it easy to find clean makeup, tailored to you. You Might Like Follow NakedPoppy. Ready for clean beauty products, tailored to you? Find My Perfect Picks. Comments Melissa February 27, at am I work for a cosmetic line, I love my company but have recently discovered our new foundation contains BHT.

Required fields are marked. Related Posts. The scoop on BHA is a bit ambivalent. For dry foods like cereal the FDA has set limits for each food type. See here and here. The situation is much the same in Europe. And the European Commission has placed BHA as a category 1 potential endocrine disruptor [pdf] based on evidence that it interferes with hormonefunction in at least one living organism.

The evidence on BHT is a bit more reassuring. Despite its structural similarity to BHA, there is no conclusive evidence that it is carcinogenic. The IARC lists it as unclassifiable for humans, but finds that there is limited evidence that it causes cancer in animals.

See here , here [pdf] and here. Some data suggest that BHT also acts as a weak endocrine disruptor , and may impact such organs as the lungs, liver, kidney and thyroid. Turns out there may actually be a health benefit. These preservatives work because they are antioxidants.

Foods rich in natural antioxidants are powerhouses for the body , acting against so-called free radicalsthat can wreak havoc on the body. Well, certainly the chemical preservatives do not carry the same nutritional value as foods naturally rich with antioxidants. What better time of the year than now for me to resolve to go cold turkey on artificial preservatives?

I am too strongly tied to the convenience of processed foods. But I will resolve to read the labels and limit my intake and aspire to a fresher, more natural diet in the nebulous future. How about you? Already a subscriber? On the other hand, all three antioxidants have also anticarcinogenic properties. The intake of the necessary high doses as for these effects are, however, contraindicated with BHA and BHT because of their carcinogenic effects.

The present overview concludes that the concentrations of BHA and BHT nowadays used in food, drugs and cosmetics are probably harmless.