As we begin to understand the relationship between the foods we eat and our overall health, the term “gut health” and “microbiome” have become increasingly more important in recent years. A study recently published in the journal Gastroenterology found that one additive widely used in processed foods “may be contributing to increased prevalence of an array of chronic inflammatory diseases by altering the gut microbiome and metabolome.” The additive, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or cellulose gumm is thickener and stabilizer used in processed food products ranging from ice cream to crackers and non-food products like toothpaste and ice packs. It is widely used in low-fat and gluten-free products. The new study confirms previous findings published in 2017 in Frontiers in Pediatrics that raised similar issues with CMC. How Did we Get Here? Processed foods started entering the market around the beginning of the World War I and soon became a normal part …