Fats, preservatives and salts- we're told to avoid them, but what's the real story behind them? A speaker on Wednesday taught BYU students the good and the bad of the invisible things inside your food.

Dr. Robert Bates, a professor at the University of Florida, lectured on the topic "What you always wanted to know about chemicals in foods but were afraid to eat." The large classroom was full of students, many received extra credit for attending the lecture and free cinnamon rolls were also provided.

The topic included chemistry and food science, so students from both disciplines were in attendance.

"There is nothing in [food] except chemicals," Bates said, "Food without chemicals would be hard to imagine."

The types of chemicals that make up the food we eat were the focus of the lecture. Bates said a balanced diet and common sense are important in choosing what food to eat, and how much of it to eat.

"It emphasizes how many dangers there are in foods, and the need for moderation," said Mavinee Long, a freshman studying biophysics major who attended the lecture.

Bates said the effect from food on our health is dependent on that moderation.

"Diet is the major thing that kills people, one way or another," Bates said. "Food is dangerous. You're dangerous with it and you're dangerous without it."

Many foods have added chemicals for preservation. Bates said these chemicals can have bad effects- but without those additives, many foods would spoil easily and contain other dangerous chemicals, which can also cause health problems.

The benefits versus the detrimental effects food can have are highly individualistic, according to Bates. Diet has a long-term effect and Bates warned against "magic pills" that claim to fix a lifetime of bad habits.

The way a food is prepared is also a factor. In some foods, like carrots and tomatoes, the heat from cooking can break down certain chemicals to amplify good effects. Bates said the tomato sauce in pizza has some positive health effects that are not as prevalent in raw tomatoes.

The advances in technology have allowed scientists to know more about the food we eat, which increases the number of foods that studies claim can cure or cause certain diseases and symptoms.

Bates told students to be knowledgeable about the food they eat, but also recognize when food claims are non-sense.

Copyright Brigham Young University 16 Oct 2008