Caffeine in your chocolate... synthetic cooling agents masking burning sensations in your gum, mints, and vapes... bioactive compounds you never expected in your cosmetics and beyond.

What if the ingredients on the label don't tell the full story?

In today's show, you'll meet Ben Katz, a scientist who exposes what's really in your popular supplements, foods, drinks, and other products using advanced analytical techniques on his popular MassSpecEverything social media channels. Throughout this fascinating discussion, you'll discover how Ben pulls back the curtain on consumer products using mass spectrometry and chromatography to identify and quantify chemical compounds. Additionally, you'll uncover the surprising truth about the levels of caffeine in chocolate and other candies marketed toward kids. Ben also reveals what he found after analyzing samples of two products that I frequently get asked about: “Feel Free," a bottled blend of kratom and kava (video here) and Lucy nicotine gum (video here).

Ben specializes in the field of mass spectrometry, a technique used to identify and analyze chemical compounds. Mass spectrometry is an analytical tool useful for measuring the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of one or more molecules present in a sample. These measurements can be used to calculate the exact molecular weight of the sample components as well — so technically, using a tool like Ben does, you can find out a lot about the supplements, drinks, gums, and other compounds you consume on a regular basis.

Brace yourself as Ben explains the presence of concerning compounds like diphenylamine, a synthetic growth regulator sprayed on fruits and vegetables. He advocates for more transparency around these post-harvest treatments, even in organic produce. You'll also get Ben's take on cleaner sources of nicotine, flavors with potentially toxic effects, and cutting-edge technologies that could one day allow you to have a mass spectrometry device in your home.

Whether you're a label scrutinizer or just curious about what's really in popular products, this eye-opening episode will leave you looking at the world of consumer goods in a whole new light!

For full show notes: bengreenfieldlife.com/spec

Episode Sponsors:

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