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Researchers say they have identified 168 chemicals that can affect gut bacteria, substances that people can encounter in a variety of everyday environments.
Experts from the University of Cambridge published a study in the journal Nature Microbiology on Tuesday that found that many everyday substances can inhibit the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, and this goes beyond pesticides.
Scientists studied how 1,076 chemical pollutants affected 22 species of bacteria, creating a machine learning model to predict how likely the chemicals were to harm gut health. The chemicals included bisphenol A (BPAF), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), glyphosate, chlordecone, imazalil, and dozens more.
" When this system becomes unbalanced, it can contribute to a wide range of health problems involving digestion, weight regulation, the immune system and mental health ," a press release about the study said.
Study author Indra Roux said her team was "surprised" to learn that the chemicals had such harmful effects.
" We have found that many chemicals designed to act on only one type of target, say insects or fungi, also affect gut bacteria. The gut is not just a digestive machine. It is a central command center for immunity, metabolism and inflammation. For example, many industrial chemicals such as flame retardants and plasticizers that we are in regular contact with were not thought to affect living organisms at all, but they do ," Roux said.
Kiran Patil, another author of the study, said the goal is to move towards a future where new chemicals are safe from the start.
" Now that we've started to uncover these interactions in a laboratory setting, it's important to start collecting more data on exposure to chemicals in the real world to see if there are similar effects in our bodies ," Patil said.
Dr. Will Bulsiewicz told Fox News Digital that, in his opinion, the study is "a wake-up call."
“The gut is not just a digestive machine. It is a central command center for immunity, metabolism and inflammation. If we disturb it, we cause problems. If these microbes are weakened, the intestinal barrier becomes vulnerable, the immune system becomes overactive and chronic inflammation, the root of so many modern health problems, begins to increase. We don’t need to panic, but we need to move forward ,” said the South Carolina-based gastroenterologist, who was not involved in the study.
Above all, Bulsiewicz said the focus shouldn't just be on chemicals, but on the broader need for microbiome testing in consumer goods.
" We don't need to panic, but we need progress. The science is clear: Protecting human health now means protecting the microbes that protect us. It's time to rethink how we design and evaluate the chemicals used in homes, farms and our food system ," he said.
Momo Vuyisich, a biochemist and scientific director at health testing company Viome, told Fox News Digital that he recommends that consumers focus on eating organic foods in light of the research.
The Washington-based expert also not involved in the study said consumers should significantly reduce their intake of antibiotics, pesticides and food additives such as emulsifiers and preservatives.
"For packaged foods, read the ingredient list and don't buy anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize, like benzoate, polysorbate, aspartame. I call these 'additives,' and foods from traditional grocery stores are full of them. So shopping can get frustrating ," he said.
Experts not involved in the study note that, while the results provide valuable data, additional research is needed to determine whether these laboratory findings reflect real-world risks to human health.
The research was funded by the European Research Council and the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom. Fox News Digital reached out to the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., for comment on the study.
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