Golden Puffs cereal: Health risks of too much Vitamins B

April 10, 2013 | DyeDiet

Too much of anything is toxic!

The best sources of B vitamins are unprocessed foods like meats, fish, whole grains, potato, beans, etc. However, many foods containing, for instance, white flour lost their original vitamin B complex in processing. For this reason, it is required by the United States law that the B vitamins be added back to white flour after processing. Such highly processed flour surrogates are called by a confusing term “enriched flour” on food labels. Normally vitamins B group are safe to consume but, remember, TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING IS TOXIC and B vitamins are not an exception (see harmful effects of B vitamins and Side effects of too many B vitamins).

So, watch out: Today, big part of baked goods, many cereals, sport drinks and every energy drink contain added B vitamins. But a new research found “that several commonly used dietary vitamin and mineral supplements, including multivitamins, vitamins B6, and folic acid, as well as minerals iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper, were associated with a higher risk of total mortality.” Also vitamin E pills were found to raise, not lower prostate cancer risk.

Is Golden Puffs a cereal or a vitamin supplement?

Let’s take a look at highly promoted Malt-O-Meal Golden Puffs sweetened puffed wheat cereal you can buy at Walmart for mere $1 a 12 OZ (340 g) pack.

First of all, perhaps because of stigma of “enriched wheat flour” term, the manufacturer, Malt-O-Meal Co. (Minneapolis, USA), seems trying to avoid it by listing “wheat” followed by five added B vitamins, plus vitamin C, Vitamin A and vitamin D instead.

Further label reading reveals other half-truths (or half-lies): “Golden Puffs are made of wholesome wheat, plus 11 essential vitamins and minerals.” Damn it! Is this a wheat meal or a multivitamin supplement?? About a half of adult Americans take multivitamin pills; why to take more?

Based on the list of ingredients the Dye Diet Calculator shows that Golden Puffs sweetened cereal makes you taking only moderate health risk of DDFI = 0.23 and gives you moderate nutritional value of DDNF = 1.15 that is not bad at all. The only food additive to avoid is seemingly innocent caramel color but it was a subject of petition to the FDA due to carcinogenic impurities produced with use of the modern technology. This later prompted Pepsi and Coca-Cola to remove carcinogen from their drinks.

It’s also important to keep in mind that added sugar forms 55% of the “sweetened” cereal by weight!

Bottom line. No questions, Malt-O-Meal Golden Puffs is much better and much safer choice than, say, chemical-loaded Lucky Charms (Dye Diet Calculator: high Health Risk = 2.94 and poor Nutrition = 0.28) But it is certainly less healthy than Cheerios (Dye Diet Calculator: Health Risk = 0 and moderate Nutrition = 0.91). Yes, you can eat the sugary Golden Puffs in moderation once in a while but please watch your sugar and vitamins B intake carefully. Good luck!