Exactly how unhealthy ultra-processed food is and how much it contributes to a range of illnesses is something more and more people are beginning to realize. According to a new study, additives in processed food used to keep it fresh for longer may have an unexpected effect on the health of the microbes in our gut.
Inside the human body, there exists a vibrant community of trillions of cells that impact many aspects of our health, called the microbiome.
Melissa Lane, a nutritional epidemiologist at Deakin University, compares gut diversity to a forest — the more microbes you have, and the more different types of microbes in the forest, the greater your resistance will be.
A healthy and diverse microbiome is key to our overall well-being and affects everything from mood to metabolism and even the brain. Those with lower bacterial diversity in their gut are more likely to suffer from sleep problems, poorer gut health, and higher levels of inflammation, while high diversity is linked to a longer life.
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However, some foods we eat can damage this vital ecosystem. In particular, ultra-processed foods can disrupt and alter the microbes in our gut. One of the reasons for this is increasingly attributed to the many additives in our food.
An analysis shows that 6,640 different food products in British supermarkets contain emulsifiers, representing about half of the products analyzed. There is evidence suggesting that these additives can
negatively affect our gut flora and are linked to inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, and colorectal cancer.
Fresh ingredients
Research conducted on both animals and humans appears to show a direct connection between emulsifiers and poor health. Other studies have also shown that those exposed more to emulsifiers had a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and a possible link between emulsifiers and breast and prostate cancer.
Despite the health concerns surrounding the use of emulsifiers, there are no public guidelines on how they should be used or limited.
A diet rich in fiber and polyphenols nourishes our gut bacteria, and polyphenols are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Experts urge cooking from scratch with as many fresh ingredients as possible.