Food emulsifiers may emulsify your gut
Foods such as peanut butter, nut milks, salad dressing, ice cream, processed meats, spreads, baby formula and many other processed foods often separate, meaning you have to mix them well before consuming them, an inconvenience for some.
To counter this the food industry adds insoluble emulsions. These are known as emulsifiers. They also add desirable texture.
But emulsifiers are made up of detergent-like molecules and include synthesised versions (around 20 exist) such as the polysorbates that usually start with the letter 'e'; Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); and 'natural' emulsifiers (which are often highly processed) like lecithin (from soy and eggs, E322), guar gum, xanthan gum, and carrageenan (from seaweed).
The problem is that these compounds may impact our intestinal or gut lining, along with our good gut flora or microbiome.
We have a symbiotic, or mutually beneficial relationship with our microbiome (the trillions of microbes that lend us DNA and health benefits). But we also need to be protected from them, and this is where the mucous layer or gut lining plays a key role by keeping them at a safe distance.
Emulsifiers can disrupt this mucous layer and cause not only inflammation, linked to most disease, but obesity, metabolic syndrome (blood sugar disorders) and colitis.
Animal studies show that being fed emulsifiers caused their gut to become leaky
Allowing things into their body that shouldn't be there
Increasing colitis (a gut disease)
Leading to less beneficial bacteria
Causing weight gain and obesity along with higher glucose levels
They're also considered
Anti-nutrients as they reduce the absorbability of dietary minerals like magnesium and calcium
Importantly, the change that emulsifiers caused in their gut's microbial composition was identified as being the ROOT CAUSE of their health issues.
With chronic illness rising every year, and gut health along with microbial health and diversity declining, this could be a contributing factor.
Check the ingredients in any processed foods you eat, and choose the versions with none or less of these.