Studies have found that emulsifiers — chemicals used to control the consistency of thousands of supermarket products — can alter the mix of bacteria in the gut, known as the microbiome or microbiota, damage the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and trigger inflammation, potentially contributing to problems elsewhere in the body. Studies have found that emulsifiers can alter the mix of bacteria in the gut, known as the microbiome or microbiota; damage the lining of the gastrointestinal tract; and trigger inflammation, potentially contributing to problems elsewhere in the body. A series of earlier studies found that emulsifiers “can promote chronic intestinal inflammation in mice”; that two in particular, carboxymethyl cellulose and polysorbate 80, “profoundly impact intestinal microbiota in a manner that promotes gut inflammation and associated disease states”; and that, based on a laboratory study of human samples, “numerous, but not all, commonly used emulsifiers can directly alter gut microbiota in a manner expected to promote intestinal inflammation,” as recounted in a 2021 paper in the journal Microbiome.
Author: Christina Gursslin
Published at: 2025-05-20 21:59:44
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