Ingesting microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) improves the absorption of nutrients in humans. This may be a way of saving people from starvation.
Ingested microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) forms a network in the bowel that enables humans to gain more benefit from less food, says Professor Olli Dahl at Aalto University.
According to Dahl, this could help save lives during famines, if MCC was mixed with, say, powdered milk.
’Cellulose can bring about so many improvements in the world that we aren’t necessarily capable of imagining them all as yet,’ Dahl says.
The cellulose slows down the bowel action, which means that the same amount of feed produces more benefit.
MCC can also be utilized in agriculture. When a few percent of MCC is added to chicken feed, the birds will reach their target weight more quickly.
’The normal production cycle at chicken farms is 31 days, but with MCC, the same weight was reached in 27 days. The cellulose slows down the bowel action, which means that the same amount of feed produces more benefit,’ Dahl says.
As for calves and cows, MCC improves their well-being by balancing their digestion.
Researchers tested MCC on themselves
Processed from wood, MCC is a non-harmful powder with no discernible taste. Dahl and his colleague also experimented with taking MCC every morning for three months.
’One of us put on three kilograms, the other six, during that three months. One tablespoonful of microcrystalline cellulose mixed in juice and sloshed down, and that’s it. We didn’t notice the weight gain ourselves, but my colleague’s mother did,’ Dahl chuckles.
One of us put on three kilograms, the other six, during that three months. One tablespoonful of microcrystalline cellulose mixed in juice and sloshed down, and that’s it. We didn’t notice the weight gain ourselves, but my colleague’s mother did.
Dahl considers that MCC could also be added to fish feed. With slight modifications, it would not only lead to weight gain, but also bind phosphorus and make it insoluble in water. This would improve the condition of waterways.
Dahl points out that the use of MCC requires further research which, in turn, requires a great deal of raw material. The availability is helped by the factory set up by Dahl’s and Olli Kähkönen’s company Nordic Bioproducts Group in Lappeenranta, South-East Finland. Their business idea is to process the principal product MCC for the needs of their partners, particularly in Europe and Asia.
At Lappeenranta, we produce about one tonne per hour of advanced microcrystalline cellulose. That’s enough for us to carry out various experiments as well.
’At Lappeenranta, we produce about one tonne per hour of advanced microcrystalline cellulose. That’s enough for us to carry out various experiments as well,’ Dahl says.
Their mission is to reduce dependency on primary and fossil raw materials and, at the same time, to create new circular economy solutions to reduce environmental impact.
Dahl regards the responsibly managed and certified forests of Finland as a major advantage.
’We know the origin of the cellulose we use. Finnish commercial forests must be used as well as possible,’ Dahl says.
Facts
MCC is a cellulose-based product in powder form, invented in the 1950s.
Among other things, it can be used to replace micro plastics in cosmetics and as a binding agent in pharmaceuticals.
Microcrystalline cellulose is an insoluble nutritional fibre and is not absorbed in the digestive tract. It has no impact on the metabolism of sugars and fats in humans, and it improves bowel health.
For use in foods, MCC is classified as an additive (E 460), but no restrictions are placed on the amounts used; see, for example
One comment on “Spoonful of microcrystalline cellulose every morning for three months caused researcher to gain six kilograms”
/ Jonna
Woodpower 💪🏽