Food Additives Alter Gut Microbes, Cause Diseases in Mice

NIH | MARCH 22, 2015

The digestive tract is home to 100 trillion bacteria. Collectively known as the gut microbiota, these bacteria help with metabolism and maintaining a healthy immune system.

A thick layer of mucus separates gut bacteria from the lining of the intestine. A research team wondered whether chemicals that disrupt this mucus barrier might alter the gut microbiota and play a role in disorders associated with inflammation, including inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome.

Dietary emulsifiers are added to many processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life. Chemically similar to detergents, they have been shown to alter the mucus barrier and the microbes associated with it.

To determine whether these might play a role in chronic diseases, the team fed mice low levels of 2 commonly used emulsifiers, carboxymethylcellulose or polysorbate-80, in drinking water or in food. The results suggest that modern additions to the food supply can interact with gut microbiota to influence inflammation, metabolism, and weight.

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