Are Food Preservatives Bad for Gut Health?

We see preservatives every day on our food labels, including calcium propionate, potassium benzoate, and sulfites. There are rising concerns that preservatives can be negative for our health, particularly when it comes to the gut. Currently, there are only a few studies conducted on animals in regards to the effect of food preservations on the gut. Nonetheless, these studies indicate that preservatives do not cause long-term negatives effects on gut health.

Although due to limited research on the topic, it is difficult to draw a conclusion. There are too many variables, such as different preservatives and target microorganisms in the gut. However, many wonder whether preservatives are to blame for the increase in obesity rates, diabetes, and coronary diseases. Beyond our diets, we cannot ignore that many other things have evolved in society, not only what we eat. In conclusion, there is not enough scientific evidence to prove that preservatives are harmful to the gut, yet more research is required on the subject.

Find out more on Eatdat.

References

1. Salt. https://bakerpedia.com/ingredients/salt/. Last accessed by Mar 19. 2020.
2. Sugar. https://bakerpedia.com/ingredients/sugar/. Last accessed by Mar 20. 2020.
3. Water activity. https://bakerpedia.com/processes/water-activity/. Last accessed by Mar 20. 2020
4. Mao, X., Gu, C., Ren, M., Chen, D., Yu, B., He, J., … and Wang, J. L-isoleucine administration alleviates rotavirus infection and immune response in the weaned piglet model. Frontiers in immunology, 2018(9), 1654.
5. Nguyen, T. L. A., Vieira-Silva, S., Liston, A., and Raes, J. How informative is the mouse for human gut microbiota research?. Disease models & mechanisms, 2015(1), 1-16.
6. Paul, S. K., Halder, G., Mondal, M. K., & Samanta, G. Effect of organic acid salt on the performance and gut health of broiler chicken. The Journal of Poultry Science, 2007(4), 389-395.
7. You, X., Einson, J. E., Lopez-Pena, C. L., Song, M., Xiao, H., McClements, D. J., and Sela, D. A. Food-grade cationic antimicrobial ε-polylysine transiently alters the gut microbial community and predicted metagenome function in CD-1 mice. npj Science of Food, 2017(1), 1-10.
8. Todesco, T., Rao, A. V., Bosello, O., & Jenkins, D. J. Propionate lowers blood glucose and alters lipid metabolism in healthy subjects. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 1991(5), 860-865.
9. Bomba, L., Minuti, A., Moisá, S. J., Trevisi, E., Eufemi, E., Lizier, M., … & Rossi, F. (2014). Gut response induced by weaning in piglet features marked changes in immune and inflammatory response. Functional & integrative genomics, 14(4), 657-671.
10. Kiarie, E., Voth, C., Wey, D., Zhu, C., Vingerhoeds, P., Borucki, S., and Squires, E. J. Comparative efficacy of antibiotic growth promoter and benzoic acid on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and indices of gut health in nursery pigs fed corn–soybean meal diet. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 2018(4), 868-874.
11. Bridges, J. W., French, M. R., Smith, R. L., and Williams, R. T. The fate of benzoic acid in various species. Biochemical Journal, 1970 (1), 47-51.
12. Poo, J. L., Cervera, E., Gil, S., Cadena, M., & Uribe, M. Rationale for the use of sodium benzoate in clinical hepatology. Revista de investigacion clinica; organo del Hospital de Enfermedades de la Nutricion, 1990(42), 101-105.
13. Rosenbæk, J. B., Hornstrup, B. G., Jørgensen, A. N., Mortensen, J., Pedersen, E. B., & Bech, J. N. Effects of sodium nitrite on renal function and blood pressure in hypertensive vs. healthy study participants: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Journal of hypertension, 2018(36), 666-679.
14. Gibson, W. B., & Strong, F. M. Metabolism and elimination of sulphite by rats, mice and monkeys. Food and cosmetics toxicology, 1973(2), 185-198.
15. Peters, M. M., Lau, S. S., Dulik, D., Murphy, D., Van Ommen, B., Van Bladeren, P. J., & Monks, T. J. Metabolism of tert-butylhydroquinone to S-substituted conjugates in the male Fischer 344 rat. Chemical research in toxicology, 11(1), 133-139.
16. Braide, V. B. Calcium EDTA toxicity: renal excretion of endogenous trace metals and the effect of repletion on collagen degradation in the rat. General pharmacology, 1984(1), 37-41.
17. Daniel, J. W., Gage, J. C., Jones, D. I., & Stevens, M. A. Excretion of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) by man. Food and cosmetics toxicology, 1967(5), 475-479.