News Rise in MS and Autoimmune Disease Linked to Processed Foods Rise in MS and Autoimmune Disease Linked to Processed Foods by Margarida Azevedo, MSc | January 8, 2016 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link In a new study, researchers found that additives common to processed foods can damage the tight junctions that protect the intestinal mucosa, and which are essential to theĀ intestinalĀ tolerance and immunity balance that works to prevent autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The article, titled āChanges in intestinal tight junction permeability associated with industrial food additives explain the rising incidence of autoimmune disease,ā was published in the journalĀ Autoimmunity Reviews. Worldwide, but especially in the West, the incidence of autoimmune disease is increasing, a trend accompanied by the development of the processed food and food additives industries. This steady rise in autoimmunity is also seen in MS, a debilitating disease whose cause is still not fully known, but is suspected to be an interaction of genetic, immunologic and environmental factors. āIn recent decades there has been a decrease in incidence of infectious diseases, but at the same time there has been an increase in the incidence of allergic diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases,ā Professor Aaron Lerner, from the Technion Faculty of Medicine and Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel, and a study lead author, said in aĀ press release. āSince the weight of genetic changes is insignificant in such a short period, the scientific community is searching for the causes at the environmental level.ā Recent research has focused on the role of the intestinal epithelial barrierĀ inĀ maintaining theĀ equilibrium of the immune system response to non-self and self-antigens. The permeability of this barrier is controlledĀ by intracellular tight junctions, a complex network of proteins that regulates trafficking of macromolecules between the environment and the host, and that protects the intestine against colonization by foreign microorganisms. Tight junctions play a crucial role in the equilibrium and balance of the immune response ā and tight junction dysfunction leadsĀ to a barrier more permeable to bacteria, toxins, allergens, and carcinogens. Tight junction dysfunction is the subject of several research studies,Ā especially in regard toĀ autoimmune disease, where it has beenĀ foundĀ to be commonly present. Researchers investigated the correlation between autoimmunity and industrial food additives, used in processed foods to improve such things as taste, smell, texture, and shelf life. They found that the additives glucose (sugars), sodium (salt), fat solvents (emulsifiers), organic acids, gluten, microbial enzyme transglutaminase, and nanometric particles all weakened tight junctions, leading to a more permeable intestinal mucosa, a key factor in autoimmunity. With all the information gathered on this subject, researchers recommend that autoimmune disease patients, and theirĀ family members, avoid processed foods as much as possible. āControl and enforcement agencies such as the FDA stringently supervise the pharmaceutical industry, but the food additive market remains unsupervised enough. We hope this study and similar studies increase awareness about the dangers inherent in industrial food additives, and raise awareness about the need for control over them,”Ā Professor Lerner concluded. Print This Page About the Author Margarida Azevedo, MSc Margarida graduated with a BS in Health Sciences from the University of Lisbon and a MSc in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior TĆ©cnico (IST-UL). She worked as a molecular biologist research associate at a Cambridge UK-based biotech company that discovers and develops therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibodies. Tags autoimmune disease, immune response
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