Xanthan gum or E415 is a food additive widely used in processed products and that until now seemed not to affect our health, as it is not absorbed into the body. However, a study carried out by members of the Norges Miljø- og Biovitenskapelige Universitet (Norway) has found that this product can alter the intestinal microbiota, damaging the set of good bacteria in the digestive system.
This additive is obtained from the fermentation that occurs in sugar using the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium and is present in many everyday foods, such as sauces, ice cream, sweets or dressings, as it is used as a stabilizer or thickener. In addition, it is also used as a substitute for gluten in foods and is sold as a dietary supplement indicated for ketogenic or low-carbohydrate diets.
The current research, which has been published in the journal Nature Microbiology, has found that xanthan gum does not just pass through the digestive tract as previously thought, but rather that human intestinal bacteria have adapted to this additive after 50 years since it began to be used in processed foods. This adaptation is intended to break down E415 by fermenting the smaller molecules into short-chain fatty acids in the intestine.
Change the view on food additives
This change in terms of the assimilation of the additive was observed especially in people living in industrialized countries, which is where most processed foods containing E415 are consumed. Digestion of xanthan gum was found to be most prominent in a particular gut bacterium of the Ruminococcaceae family.
Xanthan gum, in addition to altering the intestinal microbiota, is also absorbed and converted into energy, so its caloric intake must be taken into account
It was also found that the species Bacteroides intestinalis was able to retain small pieces of the additive produced by bacteria of the Ruminococcaceae family, “therefore, the study shows that in the intestinal flora of many people there is now a separate food chain that is driven by xanthan gum and that involves at least two different microbes from two different bacterial families”, they explain from the university.
This digestion that occurs in the intestine completely disproves the belief that xanthan gum passes unnoticed by the body, which is why the authors believe that it should be taken into account as part of the daily caloric intake, in addition to being alert for its possible effects on the intestinal flora.
“This knowledge should change the way we look at additives in food in general. When xanthan gum appeared in the sixties, we did not think that it had any effect on our health because we had less knowledge than today about the importance of intestinal flora for health and nutrient absorption. But with more and more advanced research on microbes, we are now seeing effects that we didn’t see at first. The authorities should include the new knowledge in the evaluations of the additives and we should do even more to understand the effects of the additives in our microbiota” concludes Sabina Leanti La Rosa, main author of the research.
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