The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recently published a report on how food additives can affect the gut microbiome and our health. In today’s diets, many processed foods are present and additives are a big part of them.
The report explains to readers that gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria living in our digestive system. These microbes help with digestion and immunity. When the balance of these microbes is disrupted (also known as dysbiosis), it can lead to problems such as obesity, diabetes and inflammation.
The report also explains what food additives are. Additives are substances added to food to make it taste better, last longer or make the food look more appealing. Here are a few examples of additives :
- Emulsifiers
- Sweeteners
- Preservatives
Some of these additives might disturb the gut microbiome. For example, certain emulsifiers and sweeteners have been linked to reduced bacterial diversity and inflammation in animal studies.
This report shows that while not all additives are harmful, some may negatively affect gut bacteria. However, there isn’t enough research in humans yet, only in animals (such as germ-free mice for example). More studies are needed to understand how different additives impact gut health.
FAO suggests doing more long-term studies on humans, using better technology to study the microbiome and updating food safety rules to include microbiome effects. It also calls for more research to help guide safer food choices and regulations in the future.
For more information, check out the report.
Source: https://iuns.org/2025/05/insights-from- ... -the-host/
