Scientists at Cornell and Binghamton University did a research that showed that tiny metal-based particles called “metal oxide nanoparticles” which are often used in food coloring and anti-caking ingredients, might be bad for some parts of the human digestive system.
Scientists from Cornell University have discovered that common food additives called titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide might damage the proteins in your body that help you digest and absorb food. Professor Elad Tako, who worked on this research, said these particles can be a real problem for digestion.
The scientists in the research team gave doses of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide that were equal to what a person would take. They used the Tako laboratory’s special machine, which is able to respond to medicine like humans do.
The scientists injected some tiny particles called nanoparticles into chicken eggs. Once the chickens hatched, they checked various aspects of the blood, a part of the intestine known as “duodenum”, and an intestinal pouch referred to as “cecum” for changes in their function, shape and bacteria levels.
Tako said that we consume nanoparticles every day, yet don’t know how much and what the long-term effects of it are. This research showed some of the effects with regards to our gut health and growth. For now, scientists are not saying people should stop using nanoparticles.
Tako said that we should pay attention to what we know now and science should check it out further. We are just looking for people to talk about the findings from our research.
Recently, a study called “Food-Grade Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Exposure Alters Intestinal Microbial Populations, Brush Border Membrane Functionality and Morphology, In Vivo (Gallus gallus)” was published. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study aimed to find out how exposure to certain types of metal nanoparticles affects an animal’s digestive system.
Nanoparticles are small particles that can be added to food colorings to make them better. These tiny particles range in size from 1-100 nanometers, and they help give the food more stability and make its colors brighter.
Nanoparticles have an even bigger surface area than average-sized particles, which makes them act faster and helps them spread out better in food. When they are spread out more evenly in the food, it can make colors appear brighter and last longer since all the particles won’t be clumping together or sinking to the bottom.
Nanoparticles don’t just help keep food stable – they also make them look brighter! That’s because the tiny size of these particles makes it easier for them to interact with light. This, in turn, gives foods more vivid and intense colors.
Using nanoparticles in food has caused some concern among people, so the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) needs companies to show them that these nanoparticles are okay to eat.
