Hidden health risk? The truth about emulsifiers with Dr. Federica Amati

ZOE Science & Nutrition

ZOE

Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Education, Science

4.6 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 11 July 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Emulsifiers are common in our diets, enhancing the texture, appearance and shelf life of many foods. But are they safe? In today’s episode, Jonathan and Federica uncover the surprising truth about emulsifiers in our food. We learn the science behind emulsifiers, their impact on health, and the rising concerns over there extensive use in ultra-processed foods. Dr Federica Amati is a King’s College London researcher and a registered nutritionist. She is also a lecturer and Nutrition Topic Lead at Imperial College School of Medicine. Federica empowers people with accessible, practical knowledge to make informed choices on diet and lifestyle and to improve health based on unique needs and preferences, at every stage of life. Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30 *Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Introduction 01:10 What are emulsifiers doing in our food? 02:15 How common are emulsifiers in our food? 02:52 What to look out for on packaging 03:55 What are emulsifiers made from? 04:36 How emulsifiers work 09:50 Are emulsifiers bad for us? 10:40 Emulsifiers and our gut health 11:50 New risks emerging from human studies 14:50 How to reduce emulsifiers in your diet Buy Federica’s book: Every Body Should Know This Mentioned in today’s episode: Food additive emulsifiers: a review of their role in foods, Nutrition Reviews Emulsifiers Impact Colonic Length in Mice and Emulsifier Restriction is Feasible in People with Crohn’s Disease, Nutrients 2020 Food Additive Emulsifiers and Their Impact on Gut Microbiome, Permeability, and Inflammation, Journal of Crohn's and Colitis Bacterial Overgrowth and Inflammation of Small Intestine After Carboxymethylcellulose Ingestion in Genetically Susceptible Mice, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Zoe Shores, the bite-sized podcast where we discuss one topic around science and nutrition.
0:08.0	I'm Jonathan Wolf and today I'm joined by Dr Federica Ramarte and today's subject is emulsifiers in food.
0:16.7	Federica, I'll be honest here, I thought emulsifiers were a type of paint.
0:22.0	Yeah so we're not talking about paint today, Jonathan.
0:24.0	You might not know exactly what amortifiers are,
0:27.0	but you will definitely have eaten them without knowing.
0:29.0	Emulsifiers are present in a lot of food products these days.
0:33.0	So why are emulsifiers in our food,
0:36.0	and more importantly, are they safe?
0:39.0	In this episode, Jonathan, we'll find out what the science says.
0:42.0	Great, let's dive into the murky world of Emulsophiles.
0:47.0	So Federica, I want to make a quick introduction for listeners who don't know you yet.
0:52.0	You're a lecturer at Imperial College
0:53.9	London, a researcher at King's College London, and the author of the
0:57.6	best-selling book, everybody should know this. And we're also fortunate enough to
1:01.8	have you as our head nutritionist here at Zoe.
1:04.0	And I know you spent a lot of time thinking about this topic.
1:07.0	So let's take a step back because I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering
1:11.0	what is an emulsifier and what is it doing in my food.
1:14.5	Thanks Jonathan yes so in simple terms emulsifiers combine substances or liquids
1:19.6	into creamy emotions so if you imagine a jar of mayonnaise, the emulsifier is what stops the oil from separating from the vinegar.
1:27.0	Or if you've ever made your own salad dressing at home, by adding olive oil, vinegar and a little bit of mustard, you'll know that at the start
	...

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