A food additive found in soy milk, milkshakes and ice cream may cause type 2 diabetes, a study suggests.
Carrageenan, also known as E 407, is used by the food industry as a sweetener and thickening agent due to its gelatinous consistency.
However, researchers have warned that the sweetener can damage the intestines, destabilize blood sugar levels and even cause bowel cancer.
Now, a team of scientists in Germany has studied whether this additive, found in many popular desserts, could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In the study published in the journal BMC Medicine, 20 healthy-weight men, aged 27 to 31, took daily doses of 250 mg of carrageenan for two weeks, in addition to their normal diet.
The other half received a placebo.
At the end of the two-week period, researchers used MRI scans to analyze the participants' brains and intestines for signs of inflammation, which is a known precursor to many intestinal diseases. GazetaExpress study.
They also measured the participants' sensitivity to insulin - the hormone responsible for helping absorb energy from food and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
In type 2 diabetes, the body develops a low sensitivity to this hormone, causing dangerously high and low blood sugar levels.
After two weeks, the data showed that those in the group who took carrageenan and had higher body weight showed a decrease in insulin sensitivity compared to those who took the placebo.
Signs of insulin dysfunction were particularly evident in the liver.
Additionally, an MRI brain scan revealed signs of inflammation in the hypothalamus region, which is responsible for sugar metabolism and appetite, in overweight participants who consumed the additive.
An MRI scan of the intestines showed an increase in small intestinal permeability – meaning potentially harmful bacteria can pass more easily into the gut.
This phenomenon has been linked to a number of health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
"Our study suggests that carrageenan consumption, similar to what has been observed in animal studies, may impair the protective function of the gut," explained Professor Robert Wagner, clinical researcher in diabetes and metabolism at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and co-author of the research.
"This could have long-term health consequences and increase the risk of inflammatory diseases," he added.
Commenting on the small change seen in insulin sensitivity, Professor Norbert Stefan acknowledged that the participants were probably "too healthy" to show major metabolic effects from carrageenan.
"In older or overweight individuals, the effects may be stronger. Further studies in these population groups are needed to confirm this," he added.
This is not the first time that experts have identified links between chemicals in ultra-processed foods and major illnesses.
Scientists have previously suggested that sweeteners can "disrupt" the separation between the fatty and aqueous layers in the gut, causing openings in the protective lining of the gut.
It is thought that this increases the risk of bacterial infections in the gut, some of which are known to cause bowel cancer. /Express newspaper/
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