A new rat study found chronic xanthan gum intake triggered colon inflammation and barrier changes, but researchers say human evidence must come next.
Xanthan gum, a product found in ice cream, yogurt, cakes, sauces and gluten-free pasta, might be hurting our guts. Its thickening, stabilizing and gelling properties have made the additive one of the food industry’s favorites butrecent research from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil shows that xanthan gum is capable of causing moderate-grade inflammation and modifying the colon gut barrier in rats.
“This isn’t about demonizing xanthan gum,” explains Alessandra Rischiteli, the nutritionist and speech-language pathologist who conducted the study. It’s more about emphasizing the need to invest in translational studies involving humans. “It’s possible that occasional use in small amounts as an additive doesn’t harm health. The concern is daily use as an ingredient and the cumulative effect of the thickener,” she said.
Raising a Red Flag
In a 10-week study, the researchers fed the rats xanthan gum chronically and found that chronic xanthan gum consumption caused colon inflammation, altered gut microbiota and led to a loss of intestinal barrier integrity. In an experimental model, they also found that theaddition of xanthan gumat all doses promoted an inflammatory state as demonstrated by the high presence of lymphocytes.
Derived from a fermentation process involving the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, xanthan gum is a biotechnology product. “It’s a plant pathogen that, in nature, infects a variety of plants and can be observed when cabbage or kale, for example, begin to spoil,” Rischiteli says.
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Priority is minimizing damage, according to the researcher, especially for patients with dysphagia who depend on thickeners to eat and stay hydrated and cannot tolerate natural alternatives, such as cornstarch. “Based on the results of the study, the recommendation is to monitor gut health and adopt strategies to protect the gut, such as using probiotics,” she states.
Premature Infant Deaths linked to Xanthan Gum
In 2011, a review found 22 newborns developed intestinal inflammation after consuming formula thickened with the additive. At least three infants died. Since then, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends avoiding using it to feed infants.
“Until then, the link between xanthan gum and the disease in infants was merely a clinical hypothesis or an empirical observation,” says Claudia Oller, a professor at UNIFESP who led the study. This study on rats proved causality—that is, that xanthan gum does cause inflammation [in rats].”
Source: www.inc.com
