🥗 Fruits & Vegetables Benefits
Type any fruit, vegetable, or food to instantly learn its health benefits.
Food Label Guide
Learn what's in your food — and what to avoid — so you can make smarter choices every day.
🟢 Safe & Beneficial
Whole Foods
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes — the gold standard. Minimally processed and nutrient-dense.
Water
Always safe. Look for it as the first ingredient in beverages.
Natural Spices & Herbs
Turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, etc. Often have anti-inflammatory benefits.
Vitamins & Minerals
Added nutrients like Vitamin C, calcium, iron — generally beneficial.
Citric Acid
Naturally found in citrus fruits. Used as a preservative. Generally safe.
🟡 Moderate — Use with Caution
Sugar & Corn Syrup
Fine in small amounts, but excess sugar is linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Salt (Sodium)
Necessary for the body, but too much raises blood pressure. Watch for >600mg per serving.
Palm Oil
Saturated fat that may raise LDL cholesterol. Also an environmental concern.
Soy Lecithin
A common emulsifier. Generally recognized as safe, but some people are sensitive to soy.
Natural Flavors
Can be from many sources. Generally safe but not always transparent.
🔴 Harmful — Try to Avoid
Artificial Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1)
Linked to hyperactivity in children and possible carcinogenic effects. Banned in some countries.
Sodium Benzoate
A preservative that can form benzene (a carcinogen) when combined with Vitamin C.
BHA & BHT
Synthetic antioxidants used to prevent rancidity. Possible endocrine disruptors.
TBHQ
A petroleum-derived preservative. High doses shown to be harmful in animal studies.
Aspartame
Artificial sweetener linked to headaches and controversial health effects. Avoid if sensitive.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Heavily processed sugar linked to obesity, fatty liver disease, and metabolic issues.
Carrageenan
A thickener derived from seaweed. Linked to gut inflammation in some studies.
Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats)
Strongly linked to heart disease. Banned in the US but still appears in some imports.
🔵 What to Look For on Labels
Ingredients are listed by weight
The first ingredient makes up the most of the product. If sugar is #1, that's a red flag.
Serving Size
Manufacturers often use tiny serving sizes to make calories look lower. Check the actual amount you eat.
"Natural" doesn't mean healthy
The term "natural" is not regulated. Always check the actual ingredient list.
The shorter the list, the better
Fewer ingredients usually means less processing and fewer additives.
E-numbers
European food additive codes (e.g. E102, E621). Some are fine, others to avoid — scan them with Foodoogle!
Not sure about an ingredient?
Scan any product or paste its ingredients on the Scan tab to get an instant health score.