AURORA, COLO. – Dietary additives lurking in processed foods may contribute to the development or exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a leading gastroenterologist contends.
At the annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®, a partnership of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association, James D. Lewis, MD, MSCE, AGAF, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, highlighted research from both animal and human studies pointing to certain widely used food additives such as carboxymethycellulose (CMC), polysorbate 80, and carrageenan as potential instigators in gastrointestinal inflammation.
he said.
Neil Osterweil/MDedge News
Dr. James D. Lewis
Some additives appear to have deleterious effects on intestinal microbiota, while others may exert their baleful influence through mechanisms such as endoplasmic stress.
“It looks like some people might be a little more sensitive to additives than others, and if you were going to use any of this [research] to try and give some advice, maybe we would say that patients or first-degree relatives of people with IBD may want to avoid foods that contain high levels of additives, and if for no other reason, mothers or people with a family history of IBD might be encouraged to breastfeed to avoid early exposure to additives that are in infant formulas,” he advised.
Processed foods defined
The typical American diet may include a large proportion of processed foods, defined as “foods that have undergone biological, chemical, or physical process to improve texture, taste, or shelf life.”
Processed foods tend to be higher in fats, added sugars, and salts, and lower in fiber and intrinsic vitamins than minimally processed foods.
There is also a category of “ultraprocessed” foods, which contain little or no whole foods but are high in energy density. Many of these super(bad) foods are staples of the American diet, such as chips, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, breakfast cereal, soda, candy, and margarine. These and similar foods contribute from 25% to 50% of daily energy intake in the United States and Canada, Dr. Lewis said.
And North America is not alone, he added, pointing to a 2015 study showing that the consumption of ultraprocessed foods in Sweden increased “dramatically” from 1960 through 2010, and that this increase mirrored an increase in obesity prevalence in that nation.
Emulsifiers and thickeners
Dr. Lewis focused on emulsifiers and thickeners that are commonly added to processed foods and are, according to the Food and Drug Administration, “generally recognized as safe.”
Emulsifiers are “detergent-like molecules that stabilize mixtures of immiscible [nonhomegenous] liquids.”
Thickeners are additives that increase the viscosity of liquids without otherwise substantially changing their other properties.
In addition to the aforementioned products, other common additives include xanthan gum (a polysaccharide used as an emulsifier in salad dressings, baked goods, ice cream, and gluten-free products), maltodextrin (a sugar substitute marketed as “Splenda”), and soy lecithin (a soy derivative used as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and wetting agent).