Emulsifier Intake During Pregnancy and Breast Feeding Linked to Child Health Issues

Pregnant and nursing mothers taking ultra-processed foods containing emulsifiers may affect metabolic and neuropsychological health of their children.

Emulsifiers are preservatives found in ultra-processed foods (ice creams, breads, cake mixes, soups, salad dressings, and more), and taking them while pregnant or breastfeeding is linked to mild metabolic, cognitive, and psychological impairments in babies. //

This research was conducted in mice by Maria Milà-Guasch of the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) in Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues and their findings presented in the open access journal PLOS Biology().

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‘Increased awareness among mothers about the potential risks of consuming ultra-processed foods containing emulsifiers, can curb health risks in their children. #emulsifiersrisk #healthypregnancy’

Emulsifiers help to preserve the texture of many ultra-processed foods. Prior research has linked the consumption of emulsifiers to an increased risk of gut inflammation, obesity, and other health conditions.

In addition, unbalanced nutritional habits by pregnant or nursing mothers has been linked to long-term health risks in offspring. However, the specific effects of maternal consumption of emulsifiers on offspring have been unclear.

Assessing Emulsifiers Effects In Mice

Milà-Guasch and colleagues provided laboratory mice with water containing two kinds of emulsifiers commonly found combined together in human food—carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80.

From before pregnancy until the nursing offspring, female mice received the maximum concentration of each emulsifier allowed in human food products by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. For comparison, other mice received water without any emulsifiers.

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The researchers found that the offspring of mice that consumed emulsifiers had a greater risk of certain health issues, including mild metabolic, cognitive, and psychological injuries. These effects were strongest in male offspring, but female offspring also showed impairments.

A combination of gene-expression testing and other lab tests suggested that maternal consumption of emulsifiers led to perturbation of the development of neural circuits in the offspring’s hypothalamus—a part of the brain that plays a central role in regulating metabolism.

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Additional research will be needed to further clarify the effects on offspring of emulsifier consumption by pregnant and nursing people. Still, on the basis of their new findings, the researchers call for increased awareness of the potential risks of consumption of ultra-processed foods by mothers.

They express particular concern about products perceived to be healthy, including certain vegetarian and vegan products, which nonetheless contain emulsifiers that could potentially lead to health risks for offspring.

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Reference:

Maternal emulsifier consumption programs offspring metabolic and neuropsychological health in mice- (https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002171)

Source: Eurekalert