Health
Sweet Tooth: Experts Reveal How a Common Dessert Additive May Harm Your Gut Health
A popular additive found in many processed foods, including ice cream, may be causing more harm than good to your gut health. Polysorbate 80, an emulsifier, is raising concerns among health experts due to its potential impact on gut bacteria balance.
This chemical is not limited to frozen treats; it’s also present in a variety of products such as bread, cake mixes, salad dressings, and chocolate, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additionally, it’s used as a surfactant in soaps and cosmetics, and even as a lubricant in eye drops.
Efrat LaMandre, FNP, Ph.D., known as “Dr. E” on social media, elaborated on why Polysorbate 80 is prevalent in ice cream.
“There was a time [when] if you left the ice cream in the fridge, it would get icy or gritty after a few days,” she explained. “So emulsifiers came along with the intent to fix that — to create this unnatural, constant mixing between things that don’t want to mix.”
LaMandre emphasized that this chemical is entirely man-made, serving primarily to extend the shelf life and enhance the appearance of food, without offering any health benefits.
She also expressed skepticism about the notion that Polysorbate 80 can merely pass through the body without consequences.
“It breaks down the mucus layer that protects your [gastrointestinal] tract,” she said. “It confuses your immune system because it has this foreign thing that it doesn’t know what to do [with].”
Daryl Gioffre, a gut health specialist and celebrity nutritionist, echoed these concerns, describing Polysorbate 80 as “one of the most toxic and acidic ingredients that you can put inside your body.”
The chemical not only disrupts healthy probiotics but also nourishes harmful entities like parasites and viruses.
“You ultimately have to look at your gut like a garden. You want lots of flowers. You don’t want lots of weeds,” Gioffre noted. “So the more of this synthetic chemical that goes inside your gut — you’re strengthening those weeds.”
Despite these concerns, Steve Christensen, executive director of the North American Ice Cream Association, assured that many independent ice cream shops are moving away from using emulsifiers like Polysorbate 80.
“Many ice cream shops are either making their own ice cream by buying a dairy base from a dairy manufacturer, or they’re buying ice cream from a supplier that is also using a base from a dairy manufacturer – and many of those bases have mostly natural ingredients,” he said.
Christensen added that the industry is increasingly adopting a cleaner approach to ingredients like stabilizers and emulsifiers.
For those seeking healthier dessert options, Gioffre recommended alternatives such as coconut ice cream, chia pudding, and avocado chocolate mousse.
“When we have these coconut ice creams with chia seeds and flax seeds, we’re getting all that fiber,” he said. “We are getting all this goodness” that will “heal and seal our gut lining, as opposed to promoting something like leaky gut, which is one of the things we have to avoid.”
LaMandre also pointed out that ice cream without Polysorbate 80 doesn’t inherently threaten gut health unless there are specific medical issues with sugar or dairy.
“An ice cream once in a while, in terms of sugar, is not going to make a difference,” she stated. “Emulsifiers by themselves, we know, can do harm.”
In conclusion, while enjoying an occasional ice cream treat is generally safe, being mindful of the ingredients could be crucial for maintaining optimal gut health.
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