How emulsifiers alter gut microbiota
When examining the ingredients of most store-bought flavored milks, you’ll often encounter additives like gums and, in some cases, carrageenan. Carrageenan, a type of emulsifier, is even known to impart a light pink hue to these products. Beyond flavored milks, emulsifiers are commonly found in items such as ice cream, mayonnaise, chocolate, margarine, and bread. Understanding what emulsifiers are and how they affect us is essential.
Emulsifiers are substances added to foods (additives) to enhance taste, appearance, texture, and shelf life. Essentially, they act as additives that help blend liquids that typically don’t mix well (immiscibles), such as oil and water. Emulsifiers can be derived from natural sources or produced synthetically. Examples of widely used natural emulsifiers include lecithin, derived from soybeans, and pectin, which comes from fruits like apples and pears, but also guar gum, extracted from guar beans, and carrageenans, which derive from seaweed, and more.
Emulsifiers like carrageenans and gums are common in store-bought flavored milks.
How do emulsifiers impact our health?
Although they are not considered toxic and do not alter our genetic makeup, because they are not absorbed, in case of lacerations they may transport bacteria through the gut barrier disrupting its functionality, potentially leading to chronic gut inflammation and metabolic syndrome, which translate into gaining weight more easily.
They influence our intestinal microbiota—the community of microorganisms living in our digestive system. While lecithin is generally regarded as safe, growing concerns surround emulsifiers and stabilizers like gums and carrageenans, commonly found in nut milks. These substances can affect the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota.
What can you do? Read ingredient labels and prioritize foods that are as clean and natural as possible; especially, avoid the two ingredients mentioned above and commonly found in nut milks, one of the reasons I started making my own nut milk.
This is one of the reasons I started making my own nut milk. Since discovering Joi, a brand that uses only one ingredient, I’ve been able to prepare just the right amount of nut milk for the week. I can adjust its creaminess by varying the water content and eliminate waste from disposable cartons. Joi offers almond, cashew, hemp, and oat milk bases, making it versatile and convenient.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
