The “Harmless” Additive DESTROYS Your Brain

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted February 8, 2025

Ever wonder why ice cream stays creamy in the freezer? Or why peanut butter doesn’t separate?

The answer is emulsifiers—common food additives that manufacturers love.

However, new research suggests these “harmless” ingredients could be causing serious brain damage.

And they’re hiding in more foods than you can imagine…
A disturbing new study published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity uncovered an alarming connection between common food emulsifiers and cognitive decline.

It seems these additives aren’t only messing with your gut but also compromising your brain’s natural defenses.

Here’s what the researchers discovered…

Emulsifiers, especially common synthetic ones like polysorbate 80, wreak havoc on the gut microbiome. But that’s just the beginning of the problem.

Think of your gut lining like a security fence. The mucus layer is your first line of defense against harmful invaders. However, when you consume emulsifiers, they help bacteria break through this protective barrier.

That’s concerning enough, but then things get even MORE disturbing…

Because once these additives compromise your gut barrier, toxins and harmful bacteria can slip into your bloodstream. This means some are heading straight for your brain.

Scientists found that polysorbate 80 (which is in everything from ice cream to vaccines) disrupts the blood-brain barrier. This critical defense system typically keeps harmful substances out of your brain.

However, toxins build up in brain tissue when this barrier breaks down, leading to cognitive decline, increased inflammation, elevated blood sugar, and insulin resistance.

Incredibly, the FDA doesn’t require manufacturers to test how these additives affect our gut microbes before approval. It’s a dangerous oversight that could be affecting millions of Americans.

Emulsifiers are lurking throughout our food supply in bread, ice cream, peanut butter, processed meats, and even many so-called “healthy” processed foods.

To protect your brain, try this…

• Choose natural, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and meats whenever possible
• Make more dishes from scratch
• Choose organic when available

Also, look for synthetic emulsifiers on ingredient labels, including…

• Mono- and diglycerides (or E471)
• Polysorbates (polysorbate 80 or E433)
• Carboxymethylcellulose (or CMC)
• Lecithin (can be natural depending on the source)
• Any ingredient ending with “-ate” or “-ose”

If you’re eating processed foods, you’ll never be able to completely eliminate emulsifiers, but when you know what to look for you can limit them.

Remember, emulsifiers might make processed foods more palatable, but the cost to your brain health simply isn’t worth it.

P.S. Discover the hidden (and DEADLY) cost of convenience.

Source:

Panyod, S., Wu, W., Chang, C., Wada, N., Ho, H., Lo, Y., Tsai, S., Chen, R., Huang, H., Liu, P., Chen, Y., Chuang, H., Shen, T., Tang, S., Ho, C., Wu, M., & Sheen, L. (2024). Common dietary emulsifiers promote metabolic disorders and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in mice. Communications Biology, 7(1), 1-14.

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

View More By Dr. Scott Olson, ND