A gut health specialist has issued a stark warning about three everyday supermarket staples which she claims are doing your body no good whatsoever. The caution comes from Dr Megan Rossi, a prominent figure across daytime TV and social media platforms for dispensing health guidance.

Dubbed the Gut Health Doctor, she commands over 580,000 Instagram followers. Since 2015, she's held the position of leading Research Fellow at King's College London.

Dr Rossi highlighted three common products which she believes frequently mislead shoppers. Whilst they may appear straightforward and wholesome choices, she argues the extensive lists of additives actually mean they're doing your gut 'no favours'.

"First up is pasta sauces. Always read the back. A brilliant shortcut if you choose wisely, but many brands add extra sugars and preservatives - things you simply don't need," Dr Rossi said, reports Surrey Live.

She encouraged shoppers to select those with a 'nice, simple ingredients list', containing as few additives as possible. She also suggested opting for varieties rich in tomato and olive oil for additional health benefits.

Dr Rossi said: "Next up is nut butters. Think 100 per cent nuts, full stop. Too often they can contain palm oil, emulsifiers, and sugars, which your gut absolutely doesn't need." She advocates for nut butters that are purely made from nuts, without any additional additives or emulsifiers. Palm oil is primarily incorporated into peanut butter as a stabiliser to prevent the natural peanut oil from separating and rising to the top, ensuring a consistently creamy, 'no-stir' texture.

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Wraps are a favourite choice for many Brits due to their speed, convenience, and deliciousness, suitable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, Dr Rossi cautions that they can often 'catch people out'.

She stated: "The third one is wraps-the one that catches most people out. Marketed as healthier than bread, but flip them over and often you see double-digit ingredients: emulsifiers, stabilisers, added sugars-things you don't need."

She pointed out her preferred option, which consists of just flour, extra virgin olive oil, water, and salt. "That literally is all you need," she declared.

The Food Standards Agency listed the following additives:

• antioxidants – these stop food becoming rancid or changing colour by reducing the chance of fats combining with oxygen


• colours


• emulsifiers, stabilisers, gelling agents and thickeners – these help to mix or thicken ingredients


• preservatives – used to keep food safer for longer


• sweeteners – including intense sweeteners like stevia and aspartame which are many times sweeter than sugar

The World Health Organisation clarifies that additives are substances mainly added to processed foods, or other industrially produced foods, for technical purposes, such as enhancing safety, extending shelf life, or altering the sensory properties of food.

"Food additives are substances not normally consumed as a food by themselves and not normally used as typical ingredients in foods. Most minimally processed and unprocessed foods do not contain food additives," the WHO elaborated. "Food additives are assessed for potential harmful effects on human health before they are approved for use."