Carboxymethylcellulose

Chassaing/Gewirtz 2015 Nature paper showed CMC in mouse drinking water at 1% (lower than human dietary exposure) dramatically damaged the gut mucus barrier within 12 weeks: bacteria began touching gut cells, Bacteroidales fell, mucus-degrading and pro-inflammatory bacteria including Helicobacter pylori flourished, and mice developed colitis-like inflammation, glucose dysregulation and weight gain. A 2019 follow-up reproduced the harm and showed CMC-fed mice exhibited anxiety-like behavior in open-field tests. Effects transferred via faecal transplant to germ-free mice, proving microbiome mediation. [ultra-processed-people] Chassaing/Gewirtz 2015 Nature paper showed CMC in mouse drinking water at 1% (lower than human dietary exposure) dramatically damaged the gut mucus barrier within 12 weeks: bacteria began touching gut cells, Bacteroidales fell, mucus-degrading and pro-inflammatory bacteria including Helicobacter pylori flourished, and mice developed colitis-like inflammation, glucose dysregulation and weight gain. A 2019 follow-up reproduced the harm and showed CMC-fed mice exhibited anxiety-like behavior in open-field tests. Effects transferred via faecal transplant to germ-free mice, proving microbiome mediation. [metabolical] Synthetic detergent-emulsifier that erodes the intestinal mucin barrier, allowing bacterial translocation, leaky gut, chronic inflammation, and downstream insulin resistance.