The common food additive that’s a threat to your oral health

Titanium dioxide is a food additive that’s found in several different types of food, medicines, and sunscreens. Unfortunately, recent studies are suggesting that there may be a strong link between this additive and some very serious health concerns. If you want to protect yourself and your family from this health threat, here’s what you need to know about it.

What is Titanium Dioxide?

Titanium dioxide is a food additive that’s often used as a whitening and brightening agent. If you check food labels, you’ll see it as the artificial colour E171. It can be found in some of the following substances:

Candies.
Chewing Gum.
Cake Icing.
Whitening toothpaste.
White sauces.
Sunscreen.
Certain medicines

E171 is usually used in high quantities in some of these substances. It has no nutritional value whatsoever, doesn’t increase shelf life, and is used solely for aesthetic purposes. Basically, it makes things look whiter. And now, studies are starting to come out which are showing that it may negatively affect the gut microbiota and lead to bowel diseases or cancer

The Dangers of E171

E171 is made up of tiny particles known as nanoparticles that may be able to pass through the protective walls of your organs. This means that they could collect inside your liver, lungs or intestines. Research is ongoing about the effects of these particles, but early studies aren’t encouraging.

A mice study found that E171 impacted gut microbiota, the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. This is frightening information because your gut microbiota is essential for the health of your entire body, including your brain and mental health. The study found that E171 interacted with gut bacteria and impaired some of their functions, which could trigger diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.

Other studies have shown that titanium dioxide may cause DNA damage and even have toxic effects on the brain.

Should you to Avoid E171?

In the wake of these discoveries, countries are already moving to ban the use of E171 in foods. However, other countries like Australia seem to be moving much more slowly, mostly because it isn’t clear yet what effects this additive has on humans. There is no consensus at the moment about whether you should avoid this additive. The Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia claims that there may be minor health risks associated with E171, but that these are outweighed by the benefits of this additive, particularly when it comes to sunscreen.

Because of this confusion, you must be alert if you want to avoid this additive. Titanium dioxide is present in a large number of foods in very high quantities, so it will be difficult to avoid exposure to it. And you need to be particularly careful when it comes to inhaling it, as this seems to cause the most health risks. You can significantly cut down on exposure by making the following changes:

Skin penetration is low with this additive, but inhalation is a problem, so try to avoid spray on sunscreens.
Avoid processed foods, which often contain this additive.
Base your diet on whole, unprocessed foods because they naturally don’t contain titanium dioxide.
Check your toothpaste for E171 or CI77891, both of which mean it contains titanium nanoparticles and should be avoided.

As time goes on, more studies will be released which will start to reveal whether titanium dioxide is dangerous to health. So, pay attention to this debate in the future to determine any further steps you should take.