Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste and appearance. Fast food items contain many additives like sugar, fat, salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and casein to make the cheap, mass-produced food more palatable. These ingredients can be addictive and contribute to health issues like weight gain when consumed in excess. Caffeine in soft drinks can also be addictive by altering brain chemistry. To avoid addictive ingredients, it is best to prepare home-cooked meals using only natural seasonings.