In recent times, fast foods and instant mixes have proliferated the world over, and traditional home-cooked fresh meals have lost much ground to them. The snacks and meals many be convenient and time-saving but are ultra-processed for long shelf life.
They are often not only high in sugar, salt and saturated fats, but are also packed with food additives that have almost no nutritive value. While the additives enhance flavour, colour and the life of the product, prevent microbial growth and control enzyme activity, they may also have unintended consequences on our health.
Recent research has shown that the gut microbiota – the colonies of trillions of bacteria living in our gut — are sensitive to the additives we may consume via processed food. “Food additives are a contributing factor in modulating gut microbiota and affecting gut health,” says Shreya Shah, clinical nutritionist and founder of Healthfuel, Mumbai. “They reduce good bacteria and cause an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut, leading to a condition called dysbiosis.”
Dysbiosis occurs when there is an imbalance in the gut microbiota, with harmful bacteria outnumbering beneficial ones. The harmful bacteria release toxins that increase inflammation in the gut, damaging the gut barrier and increasing intestinal permeability. This allows pathogenic bacteria to enter the bloodstream and can lead to decreased nutrient absorption.
Which foods have additives?
Additives are usually used to improve the look or taste of food products. Though they fall within the permitted levels of food safety regulations, food additives consumed over a long period can pose profound health risks. Take the recent case of certain Indian states banning certain food colourants such as rhodamine-B, carmoisine, tartrazine and sunset yellow. It highlights the risk that not all edible products that are on sale are necessarily safe.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin are commonly added in breakfast cereals, flavoured yoghurt, flavoured milk, sodas and “diet” or “zero-calorie” drinks. While they provide sweetness without adding calories, they can alter the gut microbiota, causing dysbiosis and worsen gut inflammation. They can also damage the protective mucous layer and cells lining the gut, further compromising gut health.
Emulsifiers, another class of additives used in bakery and confectionery products, help bind together oily and water-soluble ingredients to improve shelf life and texture of food products. However, synthetic emulsifiers such as polysorbate 80 and carboxymethyl cellulose have been shown to increase gut inflammation, decrease production of mucus and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are beneficial compounds produced by gut bacteria.
Children, adolescents and young adults should be particularly cautious about consuming products containing these emulsifiers, as they may also contribute to food allergies. Other food additives, such as certain food colourants and preservatives, can also contribute to dysbiosis, gut inflammation, decreased mucus production and gut barrier dysfunction.
Conditions linked with an unhealthy gut
Over time, these changes in the gut microbiota can lead to or exacerbate various health conditions, including:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Colorectal cancer
- Skin-related issues like eczema or psoriasis
- Obesity and diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease and acute liver injury
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
Weaning from food additives
To minimise the impact of food additives on gut health, it is essential to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods.
“If [you] cannot completely eliminate these products, at least reduce their consumption,” advises Shah. “There should be a good balance in the frequency, portion and quality of ultra-processed food to keep its consumption minimal.”
- At the time of grocery shopping, closely read the list of ingredients printed on the carton; and look for whole, minimally processed foods.
- Limit your intake of bread, confectionery items like cupcakes, chocolates, pastries and ice creams as they often contain high levels of additives.
- Frozen packaged foods should also be avoided due to their preservative content.
- Focus on including plenty of probiotic and prebiotic foods in your diet. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods like yoghurt, buttermilk, homemade pickles, kanji, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi, while prebiotics are non-digestible fibres that feed the good bacteria in your gut. These can be found in foods like garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus and bananas.
Food additives to avoid
- Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, sucralose and saccharin
- Emulsifiers: Polysorbate 80 and carboxymethyl cellulose
- Food colourants: rhodamine B, carmoisine, tartrazine and sunset yellow
- Preservatives: sodium benzoate, sorbic acid
