Study helps explain how xanthan gum, a common food additive, is
processed in the gut

Date:
April 14, 2022
Source:
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Summary:
A new study examines the ability of the human gut microbiome to
digest xanthan gum, a relatively recently introduced food ingredient
found in many processed foods.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
If you're a reader of food labels, you've likely encountered an ingredient called xanthan gum in everything from yogurt to baked goods to salad
dressing.

Xanthan gum is commonly added to processed foods, foods that have been
altered from their natural state and which make up almost 70 percent of
the typical U.S. diet. It is often used as a thickener due to its unique ability to make liquids more viscous.


==========================================================================
A new study led by Matthew Ostrowski, Ph.D. and Eric Martens, Ph.D. of
the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Microbiology
and Immunology, and Sabina Leanti La Rosa, Ph.D. and Phillip Pope,
Ph.D. of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, examines the ability
of the human gut microbiome to digest this relatively recently introduced
food ingredient.

Xanthan gum processing appears to be driven by one microbe, a bacterium
from the family Ruminococcaceae, which breaks down the carbohydrates in
xanthan gum.

A different gut bacterium, Bacteroides intestinalis, feeds on the smaller carbohydrates released by the Ruminococcaceae bacterium. Bacterial
consumption of xanthan gum likely leads to the production of short-chain
fatty acids that play roles in intestinal health and can contribute to
total caloric intake.

Furthermore, the genetic signatures of these gut bacteria are relatively
absent in samples from microbiomes of people from non-industrialized
countries, hinting that widespread consumption of the food additive
may actively alter the gut microbiome. The team also found that mice microbiomes are able to process xanthan gum, which may imply that the
ability to process the substance may have already been present in the
mammalian gut to some degree.

Ostrowski states, "While xanthan gum is generally considered safe, our
results suggest that its widespread consumption may be enriching our microbiomes for bacteria that consume it. Our study is the first step in understanding how new food ingredients could be changing our microbiomes
and whether these changes are good or bad. This may be especially
important for people who consume above- average amounts of xanthan gum,
such as people with celiac disease and those following gluten-free diets."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Michigan_Medicine_-_University_of_Michigan. Original written by Kelly
Malcom. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Matthew P. Ostrowski, Sabina Leanti La Rosa, Benoit J. Kunath,
Andrew
Robertson, Gabriel Pereira, Live H. Hagen, Neha J. Varghese, Ling
Qiu, Tianming Yao, Gabrielle Flint, James Li, Sean P. McDonald,
Duna Buttner, Nicholas A. Pudlo, Matthew K. Schnizlein, Vincent
B. Young, Harry Brumer, Thomas M. Schmidt, Nicolas Terrapon, Vincent
Lombard, Bernard Henrissat, Bruce Hamaker, Emiley A. Eloe-Fadrosh,
Ashootosh Tripathi, Phillip B.

Pope, Eric C. Martens. Mechanistic insights into consumption of
the food additive xanthan gum by the human gut microbiota. Nature
Microbiology, 2022; 7 (4): 556 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01093-0 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220414110734.htm

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