More and more research is looking at the effects food additives have on our intestinal tract and whether additives can be linked to the increased number of autoimmune diseases seen today.
Most recently, a study conducted in Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel and the Aesku Kipp Institute in Wedelsheim, Germany studied the effects of numerous additives on gut permeability. Some of the food additives researched included: glucose (sugar), salt, emulsifiers, microbial transglutamase, organic solvents and gluten.
According to the study, these additives increase the opening at what should have been “tight junctions” in the intestinal lining. This increase in permeability allows entry of foreign immunogenic antigens into the blood stream which is a common occurrence in autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease. Some refer to this occurence as "leaky gut".
The researchers suggested additional research into this cascade event by food additives on intestinal integrity. Processed food consumer, beware!!