A faculty member from the Department of Biology publishes a scientific article on the effects of food additives on genetic material.
Dr. Radhia Najm Abdul, a lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences, published a scientific article on the effects of food additives on DNA.
In her article, she explained that some food additives can affect DNA or gene expression, but not all additives do so. Most effects depend on the dose, chronic exposure, and age, and generally do not reach the level of causing actual genetic mutations in humans at permissible levels.
She also explained that the potential effects fall into two categories: 1- Genetic effects: These cause direct damage to the DNA sequence itself (breaks or mutations). If this occurs in reproductive cells, it may be inherited. However, these cases are very rare and are usually observed in animal studies at doses much higher than those permitted for humans.
2. Epigenetic Effects: The DNA sequence itself is not altered, but rather the way genes are switched on or off is changed through methylation or modification of DNA-binding proteins. These changes may explain some long-term effects on metabolism or neurological behavior.
3. Additives That May Affect Gene Expression: Recent studies focus on the fact that some additives may alter gene expression patterns without directly causing mutations. For example, artificial emulsifiers such as Polysorbate 80 have been linked to changes in the gut microbiome, which may lead to alterations in genes regulating immunity and inflammation. Artificial sweeteners such as Sucralose have shown effects on genes associated with insulin and metabolism.
