New Study Links Consumption of Emulsifiers in Ultra-Processed Foods to Health Risks in Offspring, Says Research
A new study conducted on mice suggests that consuming emulsifiers, commonly found in ultra-processed foods, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, may lead to mild metabolic, cognitive, and psychological impairments in offspring. The research, led by Maria Milà-Guasch of the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) in Barcelona, Spain, points out that such consumption affects the development of neural circuits in the offspring’s hypothalamus, a crucial area for metabolism.
Emulsifiers are additives used to preserve the texture of many highly processed foods, including ice creams, breads, cake mixes, soups, and salad dressings. Previous studies have already linked the consumption of emulsifiers to an increased risk of gut inflammation, obesity, and other health conditions. Additionally, unbalanced nutritional habits by pregnant or nursing mothers have been connected to long-term health risks in their offspring. However, until now, the specific effects of maternal consumption of emulsifiers on offspring have remained unclear.
To shed light on these effects, Milà-Guasch and her team provided laboratory mice with water containing two common emulsifiers found together in human food—carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80. The female mice received the maximum concentration of each emulsifier allowed in human food products from before pregnancy until nursing the offspring. In comparison, a control group of mice received water without any emulsifiers.
The findings of the study reveal that the offspring of mice that consumed emulsifiers had a higher likelihood of experiencing mild metabolic, cognitive, and psychological impairments. Although the effects were more pronounced in male offspring, female offspring also showed impairments.
Further analysis, including gene-expression testing and other lab tests, suggested that maternal consumption of emulsifiers disrupted the development of neural circuits in the offspring’s hypothalamus. This finding is significant as the hypothalamus plays a central role in regulating metabolism.
Although additional research is needed to validate these findings in humans, the researchers stress the importance of increased awareness regarding the potential risks associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods by mothers. They express particular concern about products perceived to be healthy, such as certain vegetarian and vegan options, which may still contain emulsifiers that could potentially pose health risks to offspring.
Coauthor Marc Claret emphasizes that “maternal consumption of emulsifiers may affect offspring health, promoting mild metabolic disarrangements, anxiety-like states, and cognitive impairments.”
The study, titled “Maternal emulsifier consumption programs offspring metabolic and neuropsychological health in mice,” was published in the journal PLOS Biology.
The research was funded by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and supported by the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation and the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya, among others. The study’s funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation.