Could Processed Food Increase Risk of Autoimmune Diseases?

Consuming processed foods could weaken the intestine’s ability to resist bacteria and toxins, and in turn raise the risk of autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Noticing a rise in the rates of both autoimmune diseases and consumption of processed food in recent years, researchers conducted their study to determine whether the 2 factors could be linked in any way.
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They focused on increases in the use of industrial food additives that improve taste, smell, texture, and shelf life. Specifically, they identified 7 food additives that weaken tight-junctions—areas of the intestine that prevent bacteria and toxins from leaking into the blood stream: Glucose, salt, emulsifiers, organic solvents, gluten, microbial transglutaminase, and nanoparticles.

“[A]ll of the aforementioned additives increase intestinal permeability by breaching the integrity of tight junction paracellular transfer. In fact, tight junction dysfunction is common in multiple autoimmune diseases and the central part played by the tight junction in autoimmune diseases pathogenesis is extensively described,” they concluded.

“Future research on food additives exposure-intestinal permeability–autoimmunity interplay will enhance our knowledge of the common mechanisms associated with autoimmune progression.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Lerner A, Matthias T. Changes in intestinal tight junction permeability associated with industrial food additives explain the rising incidence of autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity Reviews. 2015;14(6):479-489