Gut

How old is that Pop Tart in the bottom of your desk drawer? Or…

How old is that Pop Tart in the bottom of your desk drawer? Or that wizened granola bar, slowingly becoming as ancient as its alleged grains? Shelf-stable items have their place in the food system, and during emergencies, but the preservatives included come at a cost — to your gut.

In fact, new research from scientists at the University of Chicago found that a particular class of bacteria-produced chemicals, that act as natural preservatives and are widely used by the food industry, can eradicate not only the pathogents they are intended to, but also beneficial gut bacteria.

The microbes inside your microbiome live in a delicate balance, with beneficial guy bacteria providing the body with important benefits like nutrient beakdowns and even protecting against other pathogens. Therefore, if too many “good” bacteria colonies are broken down, a less-than-savory set of pathogenic bacteria might set up house, resulting in health issues and an end point not much different from eating contaminated food in the first place.

Now, that’s not to say that you should never, ever eat a food with a preservative in it—we do, after all, live in a world that is always on the go, and sometimes these things are inevitable. Lantibiotics still help prevent bad microbes from contaminating certain foods, so in this case it’s almost a question of their being too good at their job.There was even a study that showed lantibiotics could help protect mice against antibiotic-resistant infections.  But just in case you’re having second thoughts, put away the Pop Tart and grab an apple. Its ingredient list will almost certainly be shorter.