Research highlights
Human nutrition
Food additive emulsifiers and cardiovascular disease
Food additives are found in highly
processed industrial foods and are rarely
used in home cooking. They include emulsi-
fiers, which are used to improve the texture
of these products and extend their shelf life.
Lecithin (E322), carrageenan (E407), guar
gum (E412) and cellulose (E460) are just a
few examples from a long list of emulsifiers
that are authorized under European legisla-
tion. Recently, the implication of emulsifiers
in the development of noncommunicable
diseases associated with high consumption
of ultra-processed foods, such as type 2
diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, has
been suggested.
Laury Sellem, from the Sorbonne Paris Nord
University and Université Paris Cité, et al.
nature food
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00865-z
have studied the consumption of food
additive emulsifiers in the diet on the
risk of cardiovascular disease from the
NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. The
study involved 95,442 adult participants
(>18 years of age) with no prevalence of
cardiometabolic disease. Emulsifier intake
was quantified from at least three 24-hour
dietary records taken during the first two
years of a mean seven-year follow-up.
They observed a positive association
between high intakes of celluloses (E460,
E461, E464, E466 and E468) and the risk of
cardiovascular disease and coronary heart
disease. A high intake of emulsifiers from
the monoglyceride and diglyceride fatty
acid group (E471 and E472) was positively
associated with cardiovascular disease,
coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular
disease. This study will help to better guide
the legislation on the use of food addi-
tive emulsifiers, as they are widely used in
ultra-processed foods and highly consumed.
Laurence Daoust
Nature Food
Original reference: BMJ 382, e076058 (2023)
Credit: Tatyana Aksenova / Alamy Stock Photo
Volume 4 | October 2023 | 831 | 831