Industrial Food Additives Linked to Autoimmune Diseases

The journal Autoimmune Reviews publishes a study by Professor Aharon Lerner of the Technion Faculty of Medicine and the Carmel Medical Center. The research was conducted together with Professor Torsten Matthias from the AESKU.KIPP Institute (Germany) for autoimmune disease research.
In his study, Professor Lerner examined the impact of processed food on intestinal activity and the development of autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases are conditions where the body attacks itself. More than a hundred such diseases are known today, including juvenile diabetes, celiac disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, thyroiditis, hepatitis, carditis, and Crohn's.

The current research examines the use of industrial food additives, aimed at improving qualities such as taste, smell, texture, and shelf life. The conclusion of the study is that there is a significant circumstantial link between the increase in processed food use and the rise in autoimmune diseases.

Many autoimmune diseases result from damage to the barrier-function junctions that protect the intestinal lining. This transition typically acts as a barrier to bacteria, toxins, and allergenic and carcinogenic substances, protecting the immune system from them. Damage to this mechanism leads to the development of autoimmune diseases.

The research indicates that glucose, sodium, fat solvents, organic acids, gluten, and nano-sized particles weaken the junctions and allow toxins, bacteria, and other hostile components to enter the gut. This leads to the body attacking itself. These food additives also promote inflammatory, allergic, and carcinogenic processes.
The findings align with the World Health Organization's recommendation to moderate processed meat consumption, as it contains certain components that increase cancer risk: salt, gluten, the bacterial enzyme transglutaminase, among others.
"While the pharmaceutical industry is well-regulated, the food additive market remains open and unregulated," the researchers note. "We hope our study, along with similar studies, will highlight the risk of industrial food additives and demonstrate the need for regulation. We recommend that patients with autoimmune diseases and people with a family history of such diseases avoid processed food."