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Hint water has PG! Not only does it have PG, this article really opened my eyes to the us of PG in any ingredient labeled as "natural flavors."
I'm no scientist, but here's what I gathered from reading: While the flavor may be originally be from a natural source, PG acts as the surfactant to spread that flavor around the food, giving it its yummy flavor. And PG is never on the label, only "natural flavors."
I see no indication that anyone involved knows this is a highly allergenic substance and that they could cause anaphylaxis and even death in people who drink it because they don't put PG on the label. This has to stop!
Unfortunately, there are many more hidden sources of PG/PEG. Non-organic ice cream---as part of the industry standard, PG is used as an emulsifier in regular ice cream, but does not have to be listed on the label; anything "modified" (like corn starch) is suspect to having had PG used during the process; soft drinks--nearly all carbonated beverages contain PG which inhibits bacteria growth and evenly distributes fatty acids for flavor consistency; sugar (sugar beets and their by-product molasses are processed using PG; sugar cane is drenched with glyposate as a drying agent before harvest); spices can be sterilized with ethylene oxide; salt (PG can be used as an anti-caking agent); coffee (flavored and decaf potentially have PG used in their processing); milk (because of how PG is used on cows--sprayed on them to make them lactate; given to them in their antibiotics/hormones; used in treating conditions like ketosis; and put in their feed to prevent freezing); produce (certain types are sprayed with PG for preserving them in transport); all cleaning products are suspect and are not required to have ingredients listed on labels; water from plastic bottles (over time, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) from the container has been found to leach into what is stored in them.... the above sources do not include the many chemically similar compounds that also should be avoided for those who are highly sensitive to the glycols (things like glycerin, sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate, polysorbates, etc.)
Utterly depressing!
This is going to be how I die, isn't it? When everything in the world is poison.
No. What you need to do is to live naturally. It will be better for your overall health. Stay away from pharmaceutical drugs. There are MANY natural remedies for common conditions. There are also many holistic/integrative practioners out there to help you. Eat right--cook from scratch; get sugar, non-organic wheat and conventional dairy out of your diet (the inflammation in your body will go way down!); eat more vegetables and fruit; eat "plain" food when eating out and/or question the ingredients at a restaurant you like that cooks from scratch; use only natural cleaning products---vinegar; baking soda; make your own personal care products (deodorant, toothpaste, detergents--there are many simple recipes on the internet); drink more filtered water; get more outdoor exercise. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is literally killing us. To start eating, drinking, living more naturally is the key. Think of it as an opportunity, not a punishment.
I do as much of that as I can, and already eat as naturally as I can afford, but I cannot throw out my thyroid meds. It's dessicated pig thyroid, which is as natural as I think I can get for the condition, not synthetic levothyroxine. Also, people use glycol products on their bodies then they touch things like doorknobs, I'm next and I break out, or I shake someone's hand at a business meeting and they have put on some nasty glycol lotion and I break out. Traces of it are on everything. It's harder to access alternatives when you don't have the money. Insurance doesn't pay for holistic doctors and I can't cover the cost on my own. It is a catch 22 which I am thinking may be by design.
Sorry, but the Standard American Diet is what allowed my dozen Aunts and Uncles to live into their 90s. They did eat lots of fruits and vegetables and got regular exercise, but they didn't obsess about organic, didn't stop drinking an occasional soda, and certainly were not vegetarians. They didn't STRESS about their diets, they just made sure they were VARIED. Anyone who doesn't eat a wide variety of foods is depriving themselves of necessary nutrients, and stressing about where everything comes from, worrying if it's really organic or not (it's probably not), and being afraid to live is what will ultimately kill you. GMOS, for example, have been used in our food for decades and there is nothing you can do about it. Just live and stop obsessing. BTW, your comment about getting rid of sugar, wheat, and dairy is a prime example of obsessing. Good luck in your journey spending your entire life worrying.
Definitions of "standard American diet" are up for interpretation, and the food that your ancestors ate is not the same as the food available now to most people.
Until you have experienced unexpected reactions to foods you thought were safe, you can't understand. If you've never experienced an allergy or reaction, I'm confused about why you'd be posting here.
Trolling and other forms of abuse and unkindness are not permitted and I will delete those posts as well as blocking the poster.
