A recent health study in Nature Communication magazine showed that long-term intake of common food pigment Allure Red would cause slight intestinal inflammation in mice, and increase the susceptibility of experimental models of inflammatory bowel disease to inflammation. The results suggest that it is necessary to further study the long-term effects of food additives on health. Many foods and beverages contain additives that enhance shelf life, taste, color and appearance. Some food additives have been proven to damage the intestinal health of animal models, leading to colitis (an intestinal inflammation). Allure red is a synthetic red food pigment, which is used in some breakfast cereals, drinks and preserves. Researchers from McMaster University in Canada found that long-term intake (14 weeks) of a diet containing food pigment Allure Red (the pigment content is equivalent to that of some human foods) would cause mild intestinal inflammation in a group of mice. The researchers also found that long-term intake of Allure Red (for 12 consecutive weeks) would increase the probability of colitis in the experimental mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease. The research team pointed out that the diet used in the study contains a fixed amount of Allure Red every day and lasts for a long time, which is not representative for people who occasionally eat foods or drinks containing Allure Red. Importantly, mice that intermittently consumed a diet containing Allure Red for 12 weeks did not develop intestinal inflammation or colitis. Researchers say that intake of Allure Red can increase serotonin levels, leading to intestinal inflammation. Serotonin is a chemical that transmits signals in the large intestine. They stressed that further research was needed to find out the effect of other food pigments on intestinal inflammation and whether there were similar effects in humans. (Outlook New Times)