Feeling bloated and heavy? Struggling with poor digestion despite eating healthy? If so, the preservatives in your food might be the culprit. These ingredients help extend shelf life and prevent spoiling. The downside is that they affect gut flora, destroying the bacteria that keep your digestive system running smoothly.
What Are Preservatives?
All foods, except for those growing in your garden, contain preservatives. Manufacturers use either natural or synthetic substances to make their products last longer and prevent decomposition. These chemicals are added to foods, cosmetics, medications, beverages, and even skin care products.
Not all preservatives are created equal. Sugar, salt, lemon, honey, essential oils, and citric acid are natural and less likely to produce adverse effects. Unfortunately, their antimicrobial activity is a lot weaker compared to that of commercial preservatives. For this reason, food will spoil faster.
Most products nowadays contain chemical preservatives. Nitrites, sorbates, sulfites, and benzoates are just a few examples. Due to their antimicrobial properties, they can destroy gut bacteria. This triggers a chain reaction in your body, leading to impaired immune function, liver disease, high cholesterol, and much more.
The Harmful Effects of Preservatives on Digestion
Food preservatives have been linked to a myriad of health issues, from heart disease to obesity and inflammatory bowel disorders. These substances alter gut makeup, increasing the risk of cancer, glucose intolerance, and metabolic diseases.
The bacteria living in your gut regulates digestion, metabolism, enzyme production, hormone levels, and other bodily functions. It also has a beneficial impact on brain health and immunity. Even the slightest imbalance can affect these processes.
Since food preservatives kill bacteria, they also alter your microbiome. Certain substances, such as pectin and ε-polylysine, are not absorbed or dissolved in the GI tract. Therefore, they enter your gut and disturb the microbial communities.
Studies have linked these chemicals to a higher risk of allergic reactions, abdominal pain, and digestive distress. Sodium nitrate and nitrite, for instance, may cause bloody stools, muscle weakness, and diabetes.
When consumed in large doses, sodium benzoate can damage your internal organs including the liver, spleen, heart, brain, and kidneys. Propyl gallate and other antioxidant preservatives contribute to cancer.
Eliminating preservatives from your diet is difficult. Unless you go organic or grow your own food, it's impossible to avoid these chemicals.
To stay safe, eat real, whole foods as often as possible. Fresh fruits and vegetables, for example, contain fewer preservatives compared to junk food and ready-made meals.