5 Food Additives That Destroy Your Gut

According to a new survey, 74 percent of Americans are living with gut issues and digestive symptoms like diarrhea, gas, bloating and abdominal pain. And even though, we know that our food is the one to blame, up to 90 percent of the American population is not consuming enough vegetables, and surprisingly, 75 percent of them claim to eat healthily. 

Unfortunately, many of the foods that we consider “healthy” contain additives that are messing up our guts, and without us knowing, are leading us to worsen conditions such as leaky gut, intestinal inflammation. Moreover, these additives are inhibiting beneficial gut bacteria.

Today we will take a closer look and find out which additives present in our daily meals are causing these disruptions.

The following additives are present in many “harmless” “healthy” meals, so make sure to read labels before buying them.

Sucralose: 

AKA (Splenda). This artificial sweetener gained popularity a few years ago, before it was linked to cancer, and gut damage. In a recent study, rats were fed sucralose and a healthy-balance diet. The rats ended up with a  50% decrease in beneficial gut bacteria, and also showed heightened liver enzymes (which interfere with nutrient absorption).

Present In: Diet sodas, protein powders, sugar-free products, and pre-workout drinks. If you are watching your sugar intake we highly encourage you to seek natural sources such as stevia, monk fruit, or xylitol.

Polysorbate 80:

If you are into creamy consistency foods, you are certainly consuming this without knowing. Polysorbate is responsible for emulsifying meals and has been proven to decrease beneficial bacteria in your gut, induce inflammation, and increase the risk of weight gain.

Present In: Heavy cream, coconut milk, bottled sauces, dressings, and other foods that combine liquids and fats. Reading labels is the only way to make sure that it is not present in them. 

Carboxymethylcellulose:

This food additive is normally present to emulsify food. The main danger while consuming it, is the fact that it messes with your gut gene expression, thus leading to inflammation and pain.

Present In: Fruit juices, milk, cream, baby formula, cream cheese, cottage cheese, dressings, and gelatinous foods. Looking for organic choices can be a good way to get rid of it.

BISPHENOL

This is technically not a food additive but it’s present in the packaging. BPA is a common plastic component that is present in both cans, and plastic wraps. 

According to different tests in mice, BPA increases bad gut bacteria that lead to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and colorectal cancer. More alarmingly, mice that were in contact with it passed on the bad gut bacteria to their babies. 

Present In: Cans, and most plastic wrapping. Looking for food that comes in glass containers is a good way to avoid it.

 Aspartame: 

 Another artificial sweetener that messes up your gut. According to tests done on mice, aspartame can be even more harmful than sugar for it changed the types of gut bacteria and made them worse at processing sugar.

 Present In: Cheap artificial sweeteners, diet sodas, protein powders, sugar-free products, and pre-workout drinks. If you are watching your sugar intake we highly encourage you to seek natural sources such as stevia, monk fruit, or xylitol.

We understand that taking good care of your health can be a challenging process, however, we believe that seeking the best options is an optimal way to improve not only your gut but your overall health. 

 

A healthy gut contributes to a strong immune system, heart health, brain health, improved mood, healthy sleep, and effective digestion, and it may help prevent some cancers and autoimmune diseases, so taking good care of it will bring benefits to your physical, emotional, and mental health.  

At Rehealth, we believe that having informed patients is the only way to deliver optimal healthcare. Visit our website to find out more interesting content and be a part of an amazing health integrated community!