A leading gut health specialist has warned against three common supermarket staples that she claims are detrimental to digestive health. Dr Megan Rossi, known as the Gut Health Doctor, has over 580,000 Instagram followers and is a research fellow at King's College London.
Dr Rossi identified pasta sauces, nut butters, and wraps as products that often contain unnecessary additives. She advised consumers to check labels carefully, noting that many pasta sauces include extra sugars and preservatives. She recommended choosing sauces with simple ingredients and those rich in tomato and olive oil.
For nut butters, Dr Rossi insisted on products made from 100% nuts, without palm oil, emulsifiers, or added sugars. She explained that palm oil is often used as a stabiliser to prevent separation but is not needed for gut health.
Wraps, she said, are frequently marketed as healthier than bread but can contain a long list of emulsifiers, stabilisers, and sugars. Dr Rossi's preferred wrap contains only flour, extra virgin olive oil, water, and salt.
The World Health Organisation notes that food additives are assessed for safety before approval, but Dr Rossi advocates for minimising their intake for optimal gut health.
