Food additive exposure associated with reduction in gut microbiota diversity

The Food & You study with approximately 1000 participants from Switzerland examined the impact of food additives on gut microbiota. Researchers identified 257 unique additives from 4119 packaged products and found that higher exposure to a combination of high intensity sweeteners and sugar polyols (commonly found in low-calorie foods) was independently associated with reduced gut microbiota diversity. Total additive exposure and fast food consumption were negatively associated with microbiota diversity. Emulsifiers and thickeners showed strong negative correlation with microbiota diversity (r = -0.66), as did preservatives and antioxidants (r = -0.56). Notably, these effects were observed despite packaged foods representing only approximately 15 percent of recorded food intake, highlighting the high sensitivity of gut microbiota to additive exposure.