Impacto dos aditivos alimentares na microbiota intestinal e seus efeitos na saúde

Abstract

Food additives are substances deliberately added to food products with the aim of modifying the sensory, physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the products during the manufacturing, processing, preparation, treatment, storage, transportation or handling of food. Thus, this study was based on the need to understand the effects of artificial and natural food additives on the intestinal microbiota and the consequences on the health of the population. It was carried out from an integrative literature review of articles produced in the last 5 years, through the Scielo, ScienceDirect, PubMed, USP digital library of theses and dissertations and LILACS databases. The following descriptors were used for the searches in their Portuguese and English versions: food additives, intestinal microbiota and dysbiosis. The results found presented increasing evidence that artificial food additives may be closely related to changes in the intestinal microbiota, emergence and worsening of inflammatory bowel diseases and weight gain. On the other hand, natural additives such as herbs, spices and plant extracts are also used to extend the shelf life of food products, being an alternative to synthetic additives, due to their high antimicrobial properties. Although most studies illustrate negative results in relation to artificial additives, natural additives have shown positive results in the microbiota, improving the functions of the intestinal barrier and modulating its functioning.