If you have gut problems, consider dumping the processed food in your diet. It’s full of additives that can mess with your gut lining and the balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome.
Common additives that give processed food a more attractive colour or extend shelf life can disturb the healthy functioning of the gut, say researchers from Binghamton University.
They have tested the impact on the gut of five additives, known as metal oxide nanoparticles, including a whitening agent, another that stops the food from forming into chunks, and one added to meat to retain its red colour.
In tests on chickens, which apparently have a similar digestive tract to humans, the researchers discovered the nanoparticles damaged the intestinal lining, the balance of bacteria in the gut, and the overall ability to absorb nutrients.
