2024-02-23 17:20:20
Its little name may not mean anything to you, but you probably ingest it several times a week. The food additive E551, omnipresent in our food, promotes the development of celiac disease, an intolerance to gluten. This is what reveals a study carried out by researchers from INRAE* in collaboration with the Canadian McMaster University, the results of which were published this Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease linked to intolerance to gluten (the protein found in many grains such as wheat, rye and barley). It is characterized by inflammation of the intestine, abdominal pain and diarrhea. A pathology whose frequency is constantly increasing in Westernized countries without us really knowing why. This study could provide a first clue.
What is the E551?
Silica dioxide, by its nickname E551, is an anti-caking agent that has existed since the 1950s. It helps maintain the fluidity of food powders by avoiding lumps. More than 2,600 foods contain this additive such as soups, spices, sugars, salts, cereal-based infant formulas, soluble coffees and powdered chocolate products or even instant noodles. “A figure that is certainly underestimated,” according to Eric Houdeau, research director in INRA’s food toxicology unit. Size issue: Also used in the production of certain foods, such as pastries, E551 is then not included in the ingredient list of the finished product.
What are its effects on our health?
During their study, the researchers fed mice daily for three months with kibble containing the additive E551 at dose levels corresponding to the human exposure level. Result: daily exposure to E551 promotes the development of intestinal inflammation, proof of intolerance.
How to explain it? “Silica dioxide has an impact on the immune cells of the intestine,” explains Eric Houdeau. Exposure to this additive reduces the number of intestinal immune cells producing anti-inflammatory molecules necessary to maintain food tolerance. »
To summarize: the function of the intestinal immune system is to tolerate food proteins (what we eat). It thus prevents the occurrence of inflammatory reactions or the production of antibodies that do not allow us to tolerate what we ingest. “Exposure to E551 blocks this mechanism and thus creates susceptibility in animals to an exaggerated immune response to food proteins,” continues the research director. “But it is not because we have shown the potential for toxicity linked to E551 in mice that it will necessarily be a danger for humans”, however, qualifies the researcher.
Who is concerned ?
In France, between 600,000 and 700,000 people suffer from celiac disease. In the world population, 40% of people have a genetic susceptibility to gluten but only 1% report the disease. “We suspect that in addition to genetic susceptibility, there are environmental factors that can participate in the triggering of the pathology,” underlines the research director.
So, what to do?
Being considered safe until now, E551 is not subject to any toxic reference value. Basically, you can put it anywhere and in the quantity you want. But, as the researcher points out, the more processed products we consume, the more we are exposed to food additives. “And as luck would have it, it is also in the most industrialized countries and therefore which consume the most processed food that we find the most this type of pathologies” he continues. So no causal relationship but still something to be careful about.
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#explanation #gluten #intolerance