It might be time to put down the mayo, ice-cream and margarine. Scientists now believe emulsifiers in food could be making people put on weight, and are increasing rates of conditions like diabetes, colitis and Crohn’s disease. Emulsifiers, which are used to make food creamier and thicker as well as extend the food’s shelf life, have been found to have a chemical structure which can be damaging to the body. The news comes as researchers at Georgia State University tested the effects of emulsifiers on mice. The study, which was published in the journal Nature, found that some of the emulsifiers found in food affected the body’s balance of good bacteria and inflamed the gut. This in turn led researchers to believe the food ingredient increases the risk of diabetes and weight gain to prosper. According to Georgia State immunologist Andrew Gewirtz: “We were thinking there was some non-genetic factor out there, some environmental factor, that would be explaining the increase in these chronic inflammatory diseases. “And we thought that emulsifiers were a good candidate because they are so ubiquitous and their use has roughly paralleled the increase in these diseases. But I guess we were surprised at how strong the effects were.” The study concentrated on two emulsifiers in particular – polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose – commonly found in processed foods, ice-cream, cream sauces and packaged bread.