Common additives change gut bacteria that allow tumours to grow

Common additives used in everyday foods including bread, margarine and sweets may be behind the huge rise in bowel cancer, scientists claim.

Emulsifiers, which are added to most processed foods to aid texture and extend their shelf life, alter gut bacteria in the stomach.

Experts fear the additives may be creating higher amounts of bad bacteria, disrupting the healthy balance within the gut. This alteration causes inflammation within the intestine which provides tumours with a habitable environment to grow in, new research suggests.

The findings were published in the journal Cancer Research.

Previous research has found microorganisms living in the stomach are a key driving factor behind inflammatory bowel disease.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, two of the most common forms of the disease, are known to aid tumour growth.

The inflammation caused by the disease has previously been found to alter levels of bad bacteria and is found in many cases of colorectal cancer.

But now United States (U.S.) researchers believe emulsifiers may be partially responsible for this link, because they promote colon tumorigenesis – the production of tumours.

Researchers from Georgia State University fed mice with two very commonly used emulsifiers.

They were given either polysorbate 80 or carboxymethylcellulose at doses similar to those in the majority of processed foods.

Experts found consuming the additives drastically changed the bacterial make-up of the stomach. They also discovered that it causes low-grade inflammation, which allowed cancer cells to thrive and grow.
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