Where does this news come from?
Certain substances added to food to make them pleasant and tasty, according to a French study not so harmless after all. That’s what the weekly magazine writes Knack (1). These are so-called food emulsifiers. These are among the most commonly used additives in industrially prepared food products. They make highly processed foods more attractive and stabilize the taste and texture, so food can last longer in the supermarket.
The research team investigated whether certain E numbers added to our diet could be harmful (2). They used data from the French NutriNet Santé study. This is a large cohort study that ran between 2009 and 2021. A cohort study is an observational study in which a group (cohort) of participants is followed up for a certain period. In this case 92,000 adults followed, mainly women.
- The data were collected using electronic questionnaires eating and living habits of participants registered.
- The researchers tracked down cases of cancer on. There were a total of 2,604 cancer cases among the participants: 750 breast cancers, 322 prostate cancers and 207 colon cancers.
- The researchers checked databases to see whether there were certain E numbers were in the participants’ diets.
What turned out?
- An increased intake of certain fatty acids (type E471) was associated with an increase in the risk of cancer in general by 15%, of breast cancer by 24% and of prostate cancer by 46%.
- There was an association between other E numbers (type E407) and an increase in the risk of breast cancer by 32%.
The researchers suspect that some E numbers are the darmflora can influence in such a way that there is a inflammation occurs, resulting in an increased risk of cancer. It is remarkable that they saw no link with the occurrence of colon cancer.
Bron
How should you interpret this news?
This study nowhere proves that emulsifiers can influence the intestinal flora and that altered intestinal flora can cause breast cancer or prostate cancer. It is unclear why the researchers include intestinal flora. In addition, there was no connection between E numbers and cancer in the intestine, where the intestinal flora is present.
The researchers conducted more than 500 statistical tests. A very small number of these showed that there maybe a connection is with cancer, but coincidence cannot be ruled out. People who consume few E-numbers usually eat fewer ready-made dishes and foods, and therefore live healthier lives. Whether a condition is the result of one nutritional element or of a person’s behavior is very difficult to determine through observational research. This study cannot therefore demonstrate that certain E numbers stimulate the development of cancer.
The NutriNet Santé study already came in the past a conversation. According to this study, the list of carcinogenic elements and factors is impressive: in addition to emulsifiers, also sweeteners, processed foods, red meat and processed meats, sweetened drinks, nitrates, nitrites, added sugar, inorganic foods, acrylamide, glycemic index and load, lack of dairy products, pesticides , anxiety, inactivity, fatty acids, alcohol, low-fiber diets, antioxidants, and much more. It’s a wonder that our life expectancy continues to increase despite all these additions.
We can easily limit the intake of E numbers by buying basic products and cooking our own meals.
Conclusion
A French observational study tested hundreds of E numbers and found a few that could potentially increase the risk of cancer. It could also be a coincidence. As an explanation, the researchers suggested that the E numbers change the intestinal flora, which has not been proven at all. Moreover, there are no indications that intestinal flora plays a role in the development of cancer. This does not alter the fact that it is better to limit industrially prepared food products, which contain the most E numbers, as much as possible.
References
(2) Sellem L, Srour B, Javaux G, et al. Food additive emulsifiers and cancer risk: Results from the French prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort. PLoS Med. 2024 Feb 13;21(2):e1004338. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004338. PMID: 38349899; PMCID: PMC10863884.
2024-02-28 02:03:45
#Enumbers #fire #weak #study #Health #science