Almost every adult will teach children, "eat less sugar", because too much sugar is bad for teeth. Now, there's more science to tell kids not to eat sugar -- too much of it may affect their digestive function.

Researchers from Binghamton University and other institutions in the United States published a report in the new issue of the academic journal Nano Impact, they are concerned that a food additive called titanium dioxide, long-term intake may impair the ability of cells in the human small intestine to absorb nutrients and fight bacteria.

The researchers used small intestine cells grown in the lab to simulate the effect of titanium dioxide particles about 30 nanometers in diameter on the intestine. For example, intestinal cells were exposed to the equivalent of a meal's worth of titanium dioxide particles over four hours to simulate acute exposure; And exposing gut cells to the equivalent of three meals of food over five days to simulate chronic exposure.

The results found that acute exposure caused no change, but chronic long-term exposure caused a reduction in the microvilli on the surface of small intestinal cells, which compromised the digestive system's antibacterial barrier, reduced the rate of digestion, and affected the absorption of nutrients such as iron, zinc, and fatty acids. In addition, there was an increase in inflammatory signs.

Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium dioxide or titanose, is a common food additive that has been deemed safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It's often added to toothpaste and chocolate to add texture, or used in foods like doughnuts and skim milk to make them look brighter and more appealing. It is also widely used as a white pigment in paints, paper and plastics, and is added to sunscreen creams to protect against UV rays. Separately, researchers at Arizona State University in 2012 tested 89 common foods, including chewing gum, twinkies and mayonnaise, and found titanium dioxide in all of them.

Therefore, it is best to avoid highly processed foods, especially candy, in order to prevent excessive intake of titanium dioxide particles, said Gretchen Mahler, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Binghamton University and one of the study's authors.

Miao Qin, deputy director of Wenxing Street Community Health Service Center in the West Lake district of Hangzhou, another identity is the director of the nutrition Society of Zhejiang Province, after reading the study report, she said her two ideas from the perspective of a nutrition mother.

"First of all, titanium dioxide as a food additive is not as harmful as Sudan red, which is allowed by the country, non-toxic food additives, in many of the foods we are in contact with. So it's not possible or necessary for you to avoid it completely."

"Followed by the special use of titanium dioxide, the probability of appearing in children's food is relatively high, at this time, parents need to have the ability to" distinguish right from wrong "to help children choose snacks correctly. As a dietitian, I allow children to eat snacks, candy occasionally eat no problem, but not often eat, other snacks can not eat more. Especially in the time when coming home from school, most children are very hungry, what you give him/her to eat is very delicious, parents must not figure convenience, give children to eat a lot of messy snacks, so as not to affect the normal meal."

Our reporter He Lina Our correspondent Huang Jiaxian

Plastic Industry Video