Now, Prof. Aaron Lerner, of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, and Dr. Torsten Matthias, of the Aesku-Kipp Institute in Germany, suggest the consumption of processed foods may be associated with development of autoimmune diseases.
There are more than 100 types of autoimmune disorders. Some of the more common forms include celiac disease, type 1 diabetes,multiple sclerosis (MS), Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
In their study, the researchers identified at least seven common food additives - including glucose, gluten, sodium, fat solvents, organic acids, nanometric particles and microbial transglutaminase (an enzyme used as a food protein "glue") - that weakened tight junctions in the intestine.
Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that consumption of processed foods may increase the risk for autoimmune diseases. They note that the food additive market is not highly regulated, making such findings a cause for concern.