Common food ingredients like polysorbate 80, lecithin, and carrageenan interfere with microbes in the gastrointestinal tract, says new study.
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Common food ingredients like polysorbate 80, lecithin, and carrageenan interfere with microbes in the gastrointestinal tract, says new study.
February 25, 2015
Update: On April 4, 2018, the USDA updated the Federal Register to allow carrageenan to be included in organic food, despite the National Organic Standards Board’s earlier vote to ban carrageenan.
Scan the fine print on almost any processed food in the grocery store and you’re likely to find emulsifiers: Ingredients such as polysorbate 80, lecithin, carrageenan, polyglycerols, and xanthan and other “gums,” all of which keep ingredients—often oils and fats—from separating. They are also used to improve the texture and shelf-life of many foods found in supermarkets, from ice cream and baked goods, to salad dressings, veggie burgers, non-dairy milks, and hamburger patties.
Now, a new study released today in the journal Nature suggests these ingredients may also be contributing to the rising incidence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease by interfering with microbes in the gastrointestinal tract, known as “gut microbio.”
This news may surprise consumers, given the fact that emulsifiers are approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and appear in many foods otherwise considered “healthy,” including some in which their presence helps to reduce transfats and gluten, and many labeled organic and non-GMO.
“What we’ve been attempting to understand for the past several years is the increase in metabolic syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases” that affect digestion, explains Andrew Gewirtz, Georgia State University professor of biology and lead study author. Metabolic syndrome includes obesity, increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes. All these conditions, Gewirtz explains, “are associated with changes in gut bacteria.”
The recent, dramatic increase in metabolic-related diseases cannot be attributed solely to genetics, says Gewirtz. Human genetics haven’t changed in recent decades. So he and his colleagues set out to investigate environmental factors that might be responsible, including “modern additions to the food supply.”
Previous research suggested that emulsifiers could be implicated. So for the new study, researchers fed mice emulsifiers through water or food. The experiment used polysorbate 80 (common in ice cream) and carboxymethylcellulose, and found that it altered microbiota in a way that caused chronic inflammation. They tested the emulsifiers at levels below those approved for use in food and also at levels modeled to mirror “what a person would eat, if they eat a lot of processed food.”
Mice with abnormal immune systems fed emulsifiers developed chronic colitis. Those with normal immune systems developed mild intestinal inflammation and a metabolic disorder that caused them to eat more, and become obese, hyperglycemic, and insulin resistant.
The inflammatory response prompted by eating emulsifiers, explains Gewirtz, appears to interfere with “satiety”–the term scientists use for behaving like you’ve eaten enough–and can lead to overeating. Mice experiencing this inflammation therefore developed more fat. “There’s a chain of events,” says Gewirtz.
Gewirtz explains that the emulsifiers appear to disturb both the bacteria normally present in the gut and the gut’s protective mucus layer. Something in the chemistry of the emulsifiers seems to change the microbiota and how these bacteria interact with the intestine itself. The combination, Gewirtz says, sets the stage for inflammation.
Gewirtz is quick to say that these food additives are by no means the “only cause of the obesity epidemic or inflammatory bowel disease.” But emulsifiers may be a factor contributing to excess eating.
He also points to the fact that emulsifiers are “very common” food additives and their increased use in the food supply “roughly parallels the increase in these chronic diseases.”
That emulsifiers appear to be associated with metabolic and digestive problems and are used in some reduced-fat, dairy- and gluten-free products that consumers may be choosing for health reasons, prompts additional questions. Next, the scientists plan to test additional emulsifiers and to follow up with tests in people.
Another important point, says Gerwitz, is that these—and many other—food additives are inadequately tested by the FDA. A 2013 study found that almost 80 percent of the chemicals the agency allows in food lack testing information that would help the FDA estimate the amount people can safely eat.
Maricel Maffini, who co-authored the 2013 study, suggests the FDA’s current system of approving food additives could be improved by requiring additive safety to be reviewed periodically and by basing safety information on how much people actually eat. With additives like emulsifiers in so many different foods, some people may be eating far more than the FDA estimates, says Maffini.
Gewirtz and colleagues also note that the FDA classifies some food additives—including various emulsifiers—as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS), meaning they are not subject to FDA “premarket” review. The upshot is that FDA oversight may not be keeping up with the latest science, adding to shoppers’ existing confusion about what appears on ingredient lists.
According to Marion Nestle, NYU professor of nutrition and food studies, this study “suggests that artificial emulsifying agents may not be harmless and that their use should be scrutinized carefully.”
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I do agree with you about the FDA getting on top of it. The only issue is, the FDA doesn't really do much on a national level.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/addit/list/4-emulsif-eng.php
I stopped eating processed food (and sugar) 8 years ago. I make everything I eat in my own kitchen, including sourdough bread, bagels, every meal and even the dog's treats (peanut butter molasses). During that time I've gone from 245 to 132 pounds, and I'm healthier than ever.
Thanks for the great article.
Just how does "People who are gluten-free because it’s trendy" actually make it "difficult for people to procure gluten-free foods"?!? I'd say the reverse is true -- gluten-free options are now more widely available than ever!
overuse of emulisifers for profits needs regulation to stop its use. Why should I have to scrutinize every label
For crap ingredients that shouldn't be in there in the
First place! They will just keep going until it's something
That resembles food but..... And the concern of that
company stays on the almighty dollar. Unsafe and uncivilized!
Extremely frustrating to see the demon du jour, especially when one has food allergies and must rely on substitutes that almost always include things like carageenan.
We have trusted the FDA to test food additives and keep us safe. They have let us down. They have been influenced by business to dampen their concerns about product safety.
And when will this change? Only when we, the public demand a change. Articles such as this goes a long way in stirring a passionate and informed electorate.
Lecithin appears to have some health benefits so I won't be avoiding it. But I don't eat processed food so will be avoiding other additives
Also this is not just about Gluten-free....
I have been 'ill' for years with bowel related problems and this had resulted in my losing quite a few jobs over the years. This has been mostly because employers do not understand the downside of having IBS and refer to it as 'your little toilet problem'. The words alone could start me off! I will spending hours shopping now reading all the packets.
Thanks again
lack of knowledge or their decision not acknowledge these findings. I feel it is at utmost importance to our health to get these questionable additives out of our foods , TOTALLY. Thank-you again for this article and please keep up the good work.
It's a emulsifier and your article I just read seamed to me might not be good for me and a weight gainer
Again thank you
I am not selling anything or trying to be famous. i just want to help others have a normal digestive system.
Why is it that when people found out that this was what they were putting in dog food they fought tooth and nail to have it removed yet people are dying from these chemicals and no one cares enough to stop it. Are dogs lives more important than people?