Artificial additives have been found to be detrimental to health. A new study bolsters this one. The study finds that candy and gum additives can be harmful to digestive cells.
The small intestine helps in digesting nutrients. This ability is reduced artificial additives. Researchers have focused on a particular food additive called titanium dioxide. This additive can be found as an ingredient of gum and even bread.
The study has used a small intestine cell culture to demonstrate the effects of artificial food additives on it. The cell culture was then added with titanium oxide for four hours. That was an equivalent of three meals in five days.
The study has found that constant exposure to titanium oxide could lead a diminished ability of digestive cells to take in nutrients. Fewer digestive cells called microvilli were also noticed. This has also slowed metabolism as well as affecting enzyme function.
Gretchen Mahler, one of the authors and an assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering at Binghamton University has said that titanium oxide is a common food additive. The research has been done to show what could be the possible effects of titanium oxide on people, according to Binghamton University's site. The study has used titanium oxide in lower amounts than in previous studies.
Titanium oxide is a food additive that is considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is commonly found in many processed food. It is also found as a white pigmentation in some products like plastic and paints, as Science Daily reports.
The food additive is found in many products that it is unavoidable in ingesting it. Avoiding it would mean avoiding many processed food as well. Some companies have stopped using the ingredient in their products. Dunkin' Donuts has stopped its use after pressure from the group As You Sow in 2015.
Food additives are generally not good for the health. Even seemingly benign additives can cause issues. Candy and gum additives are found to be harmful to digestive cells. A single high fat meal can be dangerous for metabolism.
