A leading gut health specialist has cautioned Britons against three everyday supermarket staples that she claims are detrimental to digestive health. Dr Megan Rossi, known as the Gut Health Doctor, holds a research fellowship at King's College London and boasts over 580,000 followers on Instagram.
Dr Rossi identified pasta sauces as a common culprit, noting that many brands contain added sugars and preservatives. She advised shoppers to choose sauces with a short, simple ingredients list and to opt for those rich in tomato and olive oil for extra health benefits.
Nut butters were also singled out, with Dr Rossi emphasising that consumers should look for products made from 100 per cent nuts. Many nut butters contain palm oil, emulsifiers, and sugars, which she said the gut does not need. Palm oil is often used as a stabiliser to prevent separation.
The third item on her list was wraps, which she said often catch people out despite being marketed as healthier than bread. Dr Rossi highlighted that many wraps contain double-digit ingredients including emulsifiers, stabilisers, and added sugars. She recommended wraps made from just flour, extra virgin olive oil, water, and salt.
The World Health Organisation defines food additives as substances not normally consumed as foods themselves, added for technical purposes such as enhancing safety or extending shelf life. It states that most minimally processed foods do not contain additives and that all approved additives are assessed for potential harm.
