The emulsifiers used in many processed foods have been linked in a new study to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity and diabetes.

An international team led by researchers at the Georgia State University Institute of Medical Science hypothesized that emulsifiers may be behind the inflammatory behavior of gut bacteria and sought to test this possibility. They fed mice two common emulsifiers at doses meant to mimic the average consumption of processed foods, and they noticed that the composition of the gut microbiota changed to become more inflammatory. Colitis was triggered by the consumption in mice that were more genetically prone to the disease. In mice with normal immune systems, researchers found there was mild intestinal inflammation, and also increased levels of food intake, obesity, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance.

The scientists concluded that emulsifiers may not only irritate the gut microbiota but that it may in fact induce overeating.

The study was published in the journal _Nature. _

NEXT: Daily coffee may lower risk of developing MS

Sourced from: Medical Xpress, Widely used food additive promotes colitis, obesity and metabolic syndrome, research shows

Drainking a cup of coffee every day may lower a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

MS is a disease where a person’s immune system causes inflammation and damages the protective coating of nerve fibers. Symptoms include loss of balance and coordination, blurred vision, fatigue, tremors, and numbness.

The scientists analyzed data from two separate population-based-case-control studies that looked at links between coffee intake and MS. First, One was a Swedish study that included 1,629 people with MS and 2,807 healthy controls, and the second was a US study included 1,159 people with MS and 1,172 healthy controls. Both studies recorded coffee intake of the people with MS at one and five years prior to the beginning of symptoms, with the Swedish study recording coffee intake 10 years prior to the beginning of symptoms. Coffee intake of participants with MS was compared with the healthy controls at similar points in time.

Researchers found that individuals who did not drink coffee in the year prior to the beginning of symptoms were about 1.5 times more likely to develop MS, when compared to those who had several cups of coffee each day. They also found that coffee had a protective effect against MS among people who consumed large amounts of coffee at five and 10 years before symptoms began. Researchers concluded that caffeine may be the main factor is suppressing pro-inflammatory functions.

These findings support prior evidence of the health benefits of coffee, such as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and reducing certain cancers. Further research needs to be done to see how coffee intake may affect long-term disability and symptom relapse in MS patients.

NEXT: How anxiety affects your health

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Coffee intake linked to reduced risk of MS

With pressure increasing to legalize marijuana use either for medical or recreational purposes, a new study concludes that pot ranks low on the list of deadly drugs.

In fact, according to a study done by researchers in Germany and Canada, 10 drugs are actually deadlier than marijuana, including legal ones such as alcohol and nicotine. The scientists calculated the health risk of each drug by looking at its “margin of exposure” (MOE). That’s the ratio that compares the approximate amount of a drug needed to kill a person to the amount they usually take. In short, it measures the likelihood that someone could take a lethal overdose of a drug.  By that measure, alcohol consumption was 100 times more dangerous than marijuana.

The other drugs more lethal than pot when analyzed in this way were heroin, cocaine, nicotine, MDMA, methamphetamine, methadone, amphetamine, and diazepam (Valium).

The researchers acknowledged that their study focused on the lethality of drugs and not on other potential health risks, such as dependence, but concluded that pot should be strictly regulated, but not prohibited,

It’s worth noting that the study was done only on animals and that each drug was considered individually, when in reality, drugs are often consumed together.

NEXT: Processed food additive tied to colitis, obesity

Sourced from: LiveScience, Is Marijuana Safe? It’s More Complicated Than You Think