Excitotoxins: Hilo Chips vs. Uprising Chips
Mar 03, 2022
Posted by: Bridget Reed
We couldn’t be happier that the world is finally focusing on good gut health or that psyllium husk is about as buzzy of a term as ashwagandha these days. However, we need to shift everyone’s attention over to a sneaky class of chemicals known as excitotoxins.
Sure, it may not be as exciting to discuss as the gut microbiome or baking low-carb treats, but seeing as these health-damaging poisons lurk in a number of “healthy” foods and may ultimately increase your risk for various health conditions, it’s definitely a good idea to learn about them.
In this post, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about excitotoxins by comparing Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips (two popular brands dedicated to making “healthy” food) to uncover which healthy chip is best.
So, What Exactly Are Excitotoxins Anyway?
Excitotoxins are a class of highly addictive chemicals that stimulate taste receptors on the tongue. In other words, they’re chemicals added to food to make them taste better.
The not-so-friendly additives are basically non-essential amino acids that aim to stimulate your umami sensory, which can cause you to eat much more than what you had intended or were even hungry for.
While there are many different neurotoxins that can have various effects on health, the most common include:
- Aspartate
- Cysteine
-
Glutamate (aka, monosodium glutamate or MSG)
- Domoic Acid
- L-BOAA
Excitotoxins are commonly used as a way to boost the sales of processed foods by flavor “enhancers” to make otherwise flavorless food taste, well.. good. You’ll find these questionable ingredients in packaged foods like soups, sauces, gravies, bread, crackers, and more. They can also be found in foods that claim to be “healthy.”
Why Are Excitotoxins So Terrible?
Other than tricking you into thinking that your eyes are bigger than your stomach, excitotoxins cause an overstimulation of the nervous system, which can cause brain cells to be destroyed.
Yup, it’s true — and some of these neurotoxic substances have the potential for inflicting permanent damage to the brain and nervous system. What’s more, excitotoxins cross the placental barrier and may harm the tiny noggins of babies.
Needless to say, the health-damaging food additives are best to be avoided.
Hilo Chips vs. Uprising Chips: The Ultimate “Healthy” Chip Showdown
Now that you’re an expert on all-things-excitotoxins, let’s dive into the ultimate healthy chip showdown between Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips, shall we?
The Scoop on Hilo Chips
Brought to you by PepsiCo, Hilo Chips were developed for carb-conscious snackers who have “Nosh-talgia” and miss traditional chips. The tasty snack possesses a crunchy texture and bold flavors like Nacho Cheese, Ranch, and Spicy Salsa.
Hilo Chips are made with defatted almond flour for less fat and more protein than traditional almond flour. Some of the other ingredients found in Hilo Chips include:
- High oleic sunflower oil
- Milk protein
- Nacho cheese seasoning
- Whey protein concentrate
- Natural flavoring
- Yeast extract
- Annatto
- Pea protein isolate
- Chia protein
- Potato starch
In one serving, you’ll find two grams of fiber, ten grams of protein, and three net carbs.
The Deets on Uprising Chips
On a mission to close the fiber gap by delivering fiber-packed supplements disguised as savory staples to the masses, Uprising Food is waging a war on poor gut health. By utilizing the power of fiber-rich chips, this health-conscious brand is challenging everyone to improve their microbiome system.
Uprising Chips are masterfully baked using Artisan methods and only a handful of superfood ingredients, including:
- Almonds
- Psyllium husk
- Flax seeds
- Egg whites
- Apple cider vinegar
- Baking powder
- MCT oil
- Olive oil
In one serving, you’ll fuel your body with nine grams of fiber, six grams of protein, and two net carbs — perfect for keto dieters and low-carb warriors! But that’s not all. These heavenly high-crunch chips are also gluten-free, paleo-approved, and diabetic-friendly. What’s not to love?
Any Sneaky Excitotoxins Lurking in the Ingredients?
Both Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips are marketed as “healthy” snacks — but do they contain any health-damaging excitotoxins?
Let’s Start With Hilo Chips
Although Hilo Chips are tasty, the tortilla-style chips are baked with a few icky neurotoxic ingredients, such as:
- Annatto
- Yeast extract
- Whey protein concentrate
- Pea protein isolate
- Nacho cheese seasoning
- Natural flavoring
As mentioned a little earlier, these harmful ingredients are often used to boost food sales by sweetening the snack artificially or otherwise, enhancing the chip’s taste due to it losing its natural flavors to processing. So, if you’re addicted to the divine taste of Hilo Chips — you can probably thank all of those not-so-wonderful chemicals!
Ok — What About Uprising Chips?
Believe it or not, Uprising Chips are made with only a few superfood ingredients like psyllium husk, almonds, and egg whites. They are baked to perfection without any added sugar, questionable ingredients, or excitotoxins and provide a healthy nine grams of fiber as well as six grams of protein in every serving.
Unlike Hilo Chips, Uprising Chips aren’t addicting because they’re made with food additives, no sir. Uprising Chips are baked with love and clean ingredients designed to support you on your health and wellness journey — not sabotage it. They taste absolutely amazing and are perfect for anyone on the hunt for a healthy snack.
So — Which Chip Is Best?
At the end of the day, both Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips are healthier alternatives to traditional chips from the grocery store. However, when digging into the nitty-gritty to uncover the ingredients in each beloved snack, there’s no denying that Uprising Chips reign supreme.
Why?
Simple — Uprising Chips are completely free of excitotoxins, whereas Hilo Chips contain quite a few. But that’s not all…
In addition to their brag-worthy ingredients list, Uprising Chips offer nine grams of fiber and six grams of protein in each serving. And at only two net carbs per bag, these high-crunch chips are absolutely perfect for keto dieters, low-carb warriors, and health-conscious eaters. Not to mention they’re also gluten-free — finally, chips you can feel good about eating!
A Final Word
If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t just eat one chip — excitotoxins are typically to blame. These highly addictive chemicals are found in almost all processed foods to make them irresistible. When consumed in excess, excitotoxins pose major health risks that can negatively affect one’s quality of life in more ways than one.
Needless to say, these health-damaging chemicals should be avoided at all costs.
Here at Uprising Food, we know how tough it can be to navigate the murky waters of healthy eating. Not only is it important to keep track of your daily macros, but you also need to be on the lookout for icky ingredients hiding in your favorite snacks.
To help make your journey to improve your overall health a little easier, we created our Uprising Chips using only a handful of superfoods— no added sugar and absolutely nothing artificial.
With us, you’ll never find any hard-to-pronounce ingredients or confusing additives on any of our nutrition labels. In each serving, our high-crunch chips will provide you with an abundance of body-nourishing nutrients in addition to nine grams of fiber and six grams of protein to keep you full, energized, and happy throughout the day.
Whether you’re on a mission to nix excitotoxins from your diet, searching for tasty low-carb snacks, or simply trying to find the best keto-approved bread on the planet, you can always count on us to have your back.
Sources:
Excitotoxins in Your Food | Dr. Sears Wellness Institute
Excitotoxins in foods | PubMed
EWG's Food Scores | Natural vs. Artificial Flavors
3 Health Benefits of MCT Oil | Cleveland Clinic
Excitotoxicity and cell damage | Science Daily
Effects of antenatal uteroplacental hypoperfusion on neonatal microvascularization and excitotoxin sensitivity in mice | PubMed
We couldn’t be happier that the world is finally focusing on good gut health or that psyllium husk is about as buzzy of a term as ashwagandha these days. However, we need to shift everyone’s attention over to a sneaky class of chemicals known as excitotoxins.
Sure, it may not be as exciting to discuss as the gut microbiome or baking low-carb treats, but seeing as these health-damaging poisons lurk in a number of “healthy” foods and may ultimately increase your risk for various health conditions, it’s definitely a good idea to learn about them.
In this post, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about excitotoxins by comparing Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips (two popular brands dedicated to making “healthy” food) to uncover which healthy chip is best.
So, What Exactly Are Excitotoxins Anyway?
Excitotoxins are a class of highly addictive chemicals that stimulate taste receptors on the tongue. In other words, they’re chemicals added to food to make them taste better.
The not-so-friendly additives are basically non-essential amino acids that aim to stimulate your umami sensory, which can cause you to eat much more than what you had intended or were even hungry for.
While there are many different neurotoxins that can have various effects on health, the most common include:
- Aspartate
- Cysteine
-
Glutamate (aka, monosodium glutamate or MSG)
- Domoic Acid
- L-BOAA
Excitotoxins are commonly used as a way to boost the sales of processed foods by flavor “enhancers” to make otherwise flavorless food taste, well.. good. You’ll find these questionable ingredients in packaged foods like soups, sauces, gravies, bread, crackers, and more. They can also be found in foods that claim to be “healthy.”
Why Are Excitotoxins So Terrible?
Other than tricking you into thinking that your eyes are bigger than your stomach, excitotoxins cause an overstimulation of the nervous system, which can cause brain cells to be destroyed.
Yup, it’s true — and some of these neurotoxic substances have the potential for inflicting permanent damage to the brain and nervous system. What’s more, excitotoxins cross the placental barrier and may harm the tiny noggins of babies.
Needless to say, the health-damaging food additives are best to be avoided.
Hilo Chips vs. Uprising Chips: The Ultimate “Healthy” Chip Showdown
Now that you’re an expert on all-things-excitotoxins, let’s dive into the ultimate healthy chip showdown between Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips, shall we?
The Scoop on Hilo Chips
Brought to you by PepsiCo, Hilo Chips were developed for carb-conscious snackers who have “Nosh-talgia” and miss traditional chips. The tasty snack possesses a crunchy texture and bold flavors like Nacho Cheese, Ranch, and Spicy Salsa.
Hilo Chips are made with defatted almond flour for less fat and more protein than traditional almond flour. Some of the other ingredients found in Hilo Chips include:
- High oleic sunflower oil
- Milk protein
- Nacho cheese seasoning
- Whey protein concentrate
- Natural flavoring
- Yeast extract
- Annatto
- Pea protein isolate
- Chia protein
- Potato starch
In one serving, you’ll find two grams of fiber, ten grams of protein, and three net carbs.
The Deets on Uprising Chips
On a mission to close the fiber gap by delivering fiber-packed supplements disguised as savory staples to the masses, Uprising Food is waging a war on poor gut health. By utilizing the power of fiber-rich chips, this health-conscious brand is challenging everyone to improve their microbiome system.
Uprising Chips are masterfully baked using Artisan methods and only a handful of superfood ingredients, including:
- Almonds
- Psyllium husk
- Flax seeds
- Egg whites
- Apple cider vinegar
- Baking powder
- MCT oil
- Olive oil
In one serving, you’ll fuel your body with nine grams of fiber, six grams of protein, and two net carbs — perfect for keto dieters and low-carb warriors! But that’s not all. These heavenly high-crunch chips are also gluten-free, paleo-approved, and diabetic-friendly. What’s not to love?
Any Sneaky Excitotoxins Lurking in the Ingredients?
Both Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips are marketed as “healthy” snacks — but do they contain any health-damaging excitotoxins?
Let’s Start With Hilo Chips
Although Hilo Chips are tasty, the tortilla-style chips are baked with a few icky neurotoxic ingredients, such as:
- Annatto
- Yeast extract
- Whey protein concentrate
- Pea protein isolate
- Nacho cheese seasoning
- Natural flavoring
As mentioned a little earlier, these harmful ingredients are often used to boost food sales by sweetening the snack artificially or otherwise, enhancing the chip’s taste due to it losing its natural flavors to processing. So, if you’re addicted to the divine taste of Hilo Chips — you can probably thank all of those not-so-wonderful chemicals!
Ok — What About Uprising Chips?
Believe it or not, Uprising Chips are made with only a few superfood ingredients like psyllium husk, almonds, and egg whites. They are baked to perfection without any added sugar, questionable ingredients, or excitotoxins and provide a healthy nine grams of fiber as well as six grams of protein in every serving.
Unlike Hilo Chips, Uprising Chips aren’t addicting because they’re made with food additives, no sir. Uprising Chips are baked with love and clean ingredients designed to support you on your health and wellness journey — not sabotage it. They taste absolutely amazing and are perfect for anyone on the hunt for a healthy snack.
So — Which Chip Is Best?
At the end of the day, both Hilo Chips and Uprising Chips are healthier alternatives to traditional chips from the grocery store. However, when digging into the nitty-gritty to uncover the ingredients in each beloved snack, there’s no denying that Uprising Chips reign supreme.
Why?
Simple — Uprising Chips are completely free of excitotoxins, whereas Hilo Chips contain quite a few. But that’s not all…
In addition to their brag-worthy ingredients list, Uprising Chips offer nine grams of fiber and six grams of protein in each serving. And at only two net carbs per bag, these high-crunch chips are absolutely perfect for keto dieters, low-carb warriors, and health-conscious eaters. Not to mention they’re also gluten-free — finally, chips you can feel good about eating!
A Final Word
If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t just eat one chip — excitotoxins are typically to blame. These highly addictive chemicals are found in almost all processed foods to make them irresistible. When consumed in excess, excitotoxins pose major health risks that can negatively affect one’s quality of life in more ways than one.
Needless to say, these health-damaging chemicals should be avoided at all costs.
Here at Uprising Food, we know how tough it can be to navigate the murky waters of healthy eating. Not only is it important to keep track of your daily macros, but you also need to be on the lookout for icky ingredients hiding in your favorite snacks.
To help make your journey to improve your overall health a little easier, we created our Uprising Chips using only a handful of superfoods— no added sugar and absolutely nothing artificial.
With us, you’ll never find any hard-to-pronounce ingredients or confusing additives on any of our nutrition labels. In each serving, our high-crunch chips will provide you with an abundance of body-nourishing nutrients in addition to nine grams of fiber and six grams of protein to keep you full, energized, and happy throughout the day.
Whether you’re on a mission to nix excitotoxins from your diet, searching for tasty low-carb snacks, or simply trying to find the best keto-approved bread on the planet, you can always count on us to have your back.
Sources:
Excitotoxins in Your Food | Dr. Sears Wellness Institute
Excitotoxins in foods | PubMed
EWG's Food Scores | Natural vs. Artificial Flavors
3 Health Benefits of MCT Oil | Cleveland Clinic
Excitotoxicity and cell damage | Science Daily
Effects of antenatal uteroplacental hypoperfusion on neonatal microvascularization and excitotoxin sensitivity in mice | PubMed
