Day after day, we unknowingly consume a cocktail of hidden food additives tucked into our favourite products—from silky salad dressings to indulgent ice creams and pillowy breads. Chief among them are emulsifiers, agents that coax oil and water into harmony, giving foods their appealing look, creamy texture, and longer shelf life. Yet new research suggests that inside our bodies, these same additives may produce effects far less appetising.
A study by Anton Lavrinienko and team, published this month in Science Direct and titled 'Impacts of Food Additive Sweeteners and Emulsifiers on the Gut Microbiome: Research Trends and Future Directions,' reviewed many independent studies and found that over 85% showed emulsifiers like polysorbate 80 and carboxymethyl cellulose can harm the gut microbiome and may lead to inflammatory and metabolic diseases.
What Are Emulsifiers?
Emulsifiers are food additives that stabilize mixtures of oil and water. Common examples include:
- Carboxymethylcellulose
- Polysorbate 80
- Lecithins
- Mono- & diglycerides of fatty acids
- Gums
- Carrageenan
They are widely found in pastries, cakes, ice cream, desserts, chocolate, bread, margarine, nut butters, premade frosting, and ready-to-eat meals.
Gut Microbiota and Health
A healthy and diverse gut microbiota—the trillions of microorganisms living in the digestive tract—plays a crucial role in:
- Supporting digestion
- Strengthening immunity
- Reducing inflammation
- Protecting against diseases such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular disease
When this microbial community is disrupted, the risks of chronic disease rise significantly.
How Emulsifiers Affect the Gut
Though not all the emulsifiers have been evaluated equally, research shows that some emulsifiers may:
- Damage the intestinal barrier, which absorbs typically beneficial nutrients while blocking harmful pathogens
- Increase gut permeability, especially under stress
- Trigger intestinal inflammation
- Alter the gut microbiome composition, reducing diversity and resilience
Professor Kevin Whelan, PhD, of King's College London, notes:
"Like other food additives, including artificial sweeteners, colors, microparticles, and nanoparticles, emulsifiers adversely affect the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability, and intestinal inflammation."
Other Key Studies
UK Supermarket Survey: Interestingly, when Kevin Whelan and his team analysed 13,000 food products in UK supermarkets, they found that emulsifiers were present in more than half of them.
2024 Study in Healthy Adults: A 2024 study looked at how dietary emulsifiers and thickeners affect intestinal barrier function and its response to acute stress in healthy adults. It found that emulsifiers increase gut permeability under stress, thereby increasing gut vulnerability. Notably, removing emulsifiers helped protect the gut, even during stress.
Earlier this year, the results of the ADDapt trial, published in the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, suggest that a low-emulsifier diet can effectively reduce disease activity in patients with mild-to-moderately active Crohn's disease. The trial compared an emulsifier-restricted diet with a control diet over 8 weeks to assess its impact on disease activity.
Market Outlook
The global emulsifiers market, which was valued at US$9.02 billion in 2023, is projected to reach US$14.82 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.68%, driven by the growing demand in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, according to a recent report published by SNS Insider.
Conclusion
Not all emulsifiers affect the gut in the same way, and further clinical research is needed to distinguish harmful additives from those with minimal impact. As scientific understanding deepens, both consumers and health professionals should weigh the technological benefits of emulsifiers against their long-term health implications.
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by RTTNews Staff Writer
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