Researchers have discovered that common food emulsifiers consumed by mother mice can disrupt their offspring's gut microbiome from early life, increasing risks of inflammation, gut disorders, and obesity later on. The study, conducted at Institut Pasteur and Inserm, highlights potential generational health impacts without direct exposure. Findings were published in Nature Communications.
Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm investigated the effects of dietary emulsifiers on mouse offspring. Led by Benoit Chassaing, Inserm Research Director and head of the Microbiome-Host Interactions laboratory, the team focused on two common additives: carboxymethyl cellulose (E466) and polysorbate 80 (E433). These emulsifiers, used in processed foods like dairy, baked goods, ice cream, and powdered baby formulas, improve texture and shelf life but their long-term health effects remain understudied, particularly on the gut microbiota.
In the experiment, female mice received the emulsifiers starting ten weeks before pregnancy and continued through gestation and breastfeeding. The offspring, which never directly ingested the substances, showed significant gut microbiota alterations within the first weeks of life. Mothers naturally transmit microbiota to pups via close contact, and this period is critical for immune system development.
The changes included elevated levels of flagellated bacteria, which trigger immune activation and inflammation. Researchers observed bacterial "encroachment," where more bacteria approached the gut lining, causing protective pathways to close prematurely. These pathways normally allow bacterial fragments to interact with the immune system, teaching it to tolerate the body's own microbes.
As a result, gut-immune communication broke down, leading to overactive immune responses and chronic inflammation in adulthood. This heightened susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases and obesity. The study underscores emulsifiers' potential to affect health across generations.
Benoit Chassaing, the study's last author, stated, "It is crucial for us to develop a better understanding of how what we eat can influence future generations' health. These findings highlight how important it is to regulate the use of food additives, especially in powdered baby formulas, which often contain such additives and are consumed at a critical moment for microbiota establishment."
The research, funded by European Research Council grants, calls for human clinical trials to examine mother-to-infant microbiota transmission and direct infant exposure via formula.
