Studies show a worrying link between emulsifiers and some cancers

In Europe and North America, 30 to 60% of adults’ dietary energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods. A growing number of epidemiological studies suggest a link between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of obesity, cardiometabolic diseases, and certain cancers.

The Hidden Dangers of Ultra Processed Foods

Emulsifiers are one of the most commonly used food additives in these foods. They are often added to industrially processed and packaged foods such as certain pastries, cakes and sweets, ice cream, chocolate bars, bread, margarine and ready meals, to improve their appearance, taste, compositioncomposition And theirs durationduration Preservatives include especially mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, carrageenan, modified starch, lecithin, PhosphatesPhosphatesThe CelluloseCelluloseEraser and pectinspectins.

As with all food additives, the safety of emulsifiers was previously evaluated based on the scientific evidence available at the time. However, some recent research suggests that emulsifiers may disrupt the gut microbiota and increase the risk of inflammation, potentially promoting the occurrence of certain cancers. For the first time internationally, a team from Inserm, Inrae, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Université Paris Cité and Cnam, grouped together within the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (Cress-Eren), was interested in the relationship between food intake. Emulsifiers and the risk of multisite appearance of cancer in a large study in the general population.

A new understanding of food additives

result, which were published in the journal PLoS Medicine, Based on an analysis of French data from 92,000 adults (mean age 45 years; 79% women) who participated in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study (see box below) between 2009 and 2021.

Participants reported online all foods and beverages and their brand (for industrial products) of at least 3 days of food recording, with the possibility of updating their consumption data every 6 months. These recordings were attached Data baseData base To identify the presence and quantity of food additives (including emulsifiers) in consumed products. No dosedose Laboratory tests were also conducted to provide quantitative data.

During follow-up, participants declared the occurrence of cancer (2,604 cases diagnosed), and a medical committee validated these declarations after reviewing medical records. Many risk factorsrisk factors Known for cancer including age, sex, weightBMIBMI), education level, family history, smoking, alcohol and activity level PhysicalPhysicalas well as the overall nutritional quality of the diet (eg, intake of SugarSugarSalt, in EnergyEnergy) and menopausal status were taken into account.

After an average follow-up of 7 years, the researchers found that higher intakes of monoglycerides and diglyceridesFatty acidsFatty acids (E471) were associated with an increased risk of cancer overall (15% increased risk in the highest consumers – 3^E Tertile – lowest compared to consumers – 1^er tertile), breast cancer (24% increased risk), and prostate cancer (46% increased risk). On the other hand, women with higher intakes of carrageenans (E407 and E407a) had a 32% higher risk of developing. Breast cancerBreast cancercompared to the low intake group.

This is the first observational study in mattermatter, which, on its own, is not sufficient to establish a cause and effect link. The authors highlight some limitations of this study. For example, the higher proportion of women, average higher education level, and overall more health-conscious behavior among the NutriNet-Sente study participants compared to the general French population, which may limit the generalizability of the results.

However, the study sample was large and the authors accounted for a wide range of potential confounding factors, while using detailed and unique data on food additive exposure, below the consumption brand of industrial products. Furthermore, the results remained unchanged after multiple sensitivity analyses, thus reinforcing their robustness.

“ If these results are to be reproduced in other studies around the world, they bring major new knowledge to the debate on re-evaluating regulations regarding the use of additives in the food industry, in order to better protect consumers. », explain Mathilde Tuvier, Director of Research at INSERM, and Bernard Sroer, Junior Professor at INRA, lead authors of the study.