Additives often get a bad reputation. Many of us assume that if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s automatically bad for you. This, however, is not the case. Many additives are entirely safe for human consumption, so much so, we see them in our fruits and veggies.

5. Octadecenoic acid

Octadecenoic acid, also known as oleic acid, is a naturally-occurring fatty acid in animal and vegetable fats. It’s classified as a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, meaning it is a healthy fat with one unsaturated carbon bond.

Foods that contain octadecenoic acid include oils, meat, cheese, nuts, seeds, eggs, pasta, milk, and avocados.

4. Hexadecenoic acid

Hexadecenoic acid, also known as palmitoleic acid, is also a monounsaturated fatty acid, specifically an omega-7.

We find hexadecenoic acid in animal and vegetable oils, animal fats, and even breast milk!

3. Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid. Our body uses it to make proteins.

High-protein foods contain phenylalanine, including dairy products, eggs, nuts, soybeans, meat, and fish.

2. Phylloquinone

When you take a bite of a banana, you get a big chunk of phylloquinone, which can help prevent blood clots. We also know phylloquinone as vitamin K1.

Phylloquinone is most present in leafy green vegetables, but it’s also in some fruits.

1. Chemicals

 Everything we’ve listed above can be considered a chemical, but there is a negative stigma surrounding the word. Yes, some substances are not the best for us, but those are processed chemicals found in foods like potato chips.

Fruits, vegetables, and meat all contain naturally-occurring chemicals, meaning we eat chemicals every day. It’s important to know which chemicals are good for us and which are not.