THIS STUDY WILL QUANTIFY DIETARY EXPOSURE OF A NANO- FOOD ADDITIVE IN THE U.S. FOOD SUPPLY, AND DETERMINE ITS IMPACT ON THE HUMAN GUT MICROBIOME (BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES IN THE INTESTINES), GUT INFLAMMATION, AND OTHER MARKERS OF GUT STRESS. TITANIUM DIOXIDE (TIO2, OR E171 FOOD GRADE ADDITIVE) IS USED IN PROCESSED FOODS, WITH THOUSANDS OF TONS PRODUCED ANNUALLY AND AN EXPECTED INCREASE >8.9% FROM 2016 TO 2025. ANIMAL MODELS DEMONSTRATE >99% OF CONSUMED TIO2 IS RETAINED WITHIN THE INTESTINEAND EXCRETED IN THE FECES, SUGGESTING TIO2 COULD GREATLY EFFECT THE GUT. IN ANIMAL MODELS, DIETARY TIO2 CAUSES SHIFTS IN THE GUT MICROBIOME AND OTHER CHANGES IN GUT HEALTH THAT CAUSEPROFOUND DISRUPTION OF GUT HOMEOSTASIS, DUE TOINCREASED INFLAMMATION. HOWEVER, THE RELATION BETWEEN TYPICAL TIO2 INTAKE AND HUMAN GUT HOMEOSTASIS HAS YET TO BE DESCRIBED. FRANCE ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BAN FOOD GRADE TIO2 USE AFTER JANUARY 1ST 2020, OVER SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. SINCE THEN, MULTIPLE EUROPEAN CIVILSOCIETIES HAVE JOINTLY CALLED FOR AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BAN TIO2 ACROSS THE EU. TYPICAL TIO2 INTAKE AMONG U.S. ADULTS REMAINS TO BE DOCUMENTED, AND THERE ARE NO KNOWN STUDIES THAT ESTIMATE DIETARY EXPOSURE OF TIO2 USING A WHOLE FOODS APPROACH. THEREFORE, THE OVERARCHING GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO: 1) MEASURE DIETARY TIO2 EXPOSURE IN A SAMPLE OF U.S. ADULTS, USING DIETARY RECALLS AND FECAL TIO2 CONTENT; 2) DETERMINE HOW FECAL TIO2 CONTENT IS RELATED TO GUT DYSBIOSIS, METATRANSCRIPTOMICS, INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION, PERMEABILITY AND OXIDATIVE STRESS.

University Of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell MA

Investigators