Food additives and health
2023-11-27
Food additives are not uncommon in our lives and are used to improve the taste and appearance of food, prevent decay, etc.
Although countries have strict usage scope and dosage of food additives, they still pose a potential threat to our health.
Food additives and cardiovascular disease
A study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that the intake of food additives is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
This large epidemiological study included 95,442 participants. The mean age of participants was 43.1 years, 79.0% were female, and they were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline.
During the follow-up period (median 7.4 years), 1995 participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, 1044 participants were diagnosed with coronary heart disease, and 974 participants were diagnosed with cerebrovascular disease.
Studies have found that higher fiber (E460) intake is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. Higher intake of mono- and diglyceryl fatty acid esters (E471 and E72)
However, this study still has limitations because it is based on observational data and the proportion of women with more healthy behaviors in the cohort is higher.
Food additives and cancer
Another study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, found a similar link between cancer risk and the use of food additives.
This large epidemiological study included 102,485 participants. The average age of participants was 43.1 years, and 78.8% were female.
During the 12 years of follow-up, a total of 1,026 participants were diagnosed with breast cancer, 431 with prostate cancer, and 279 with colorectal cancer.
According to the study, these results are the first to investigate and report a direct link between cancer risk and exposure to food additives:
- Intakes of sodium citrate (E331), xanthan gum (E415), and mono- and diglyceryl fatty acid esters (E471) are associated with increased overall cancer risk.
- Sodium citrate (E331), sodium stearoyl-2-lactate (E481), lactic acid (E481-482), cellulose (E460-468), carob gum (E410) and mono- and diglyceryl fatty acid esters (E471, Higher intakes of E72) are associated with increased overall breast cancer risk.
- Increased intake of carrageenan (E407), xanthan gum (E415), and tripolyphosphate (E451) is associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
Food additives are widely around us, and reducing the consumption of foods containing additives is of great significance to our health.
To reduce the intake of food additives in daily life, we can:
- When shopping at the supermarket, read food labels and ingredient lists carefully, especially the "ingredients" column, and choose foods with as few ingredients as possible. If there are many ingredients in the food, or there are many unknown ingredients, try not to choose it.
- Try to cook at home and eat fresh or minimally processed foods. When cooking, you can also use steaming and cooking to minimize the use of artificial flavorings such as cooking oil, salt, and sugar.
