Some Artificial Sweeteners Found to Alter Microbiome and Blood Sugar Levels

A new study investigated the effects of four common artificial sweeteners on the human gut microbiome. This finding revealed that these sweeteners not only produce distinct changes in gut bacterial composition, but can also alter a person’s glucose tolerance and blood sugar levels.

Artificial sweeteners, also known as non-nutritive sweeteners, have been around for nearly 150 years. Saccharin, for example, has been used as a sugar substitute for more than a century, since its accidental discovery in 1879 by a chemist at Johns Hopkins University.

These chemicals are generally considered inert and have no broad metabolic effects beyond simulating sugar bumping in your mouth during a meal. of artificial sweeteners are affecting our health in a number of ways. increased cancer risk making a person more likely to gain weight.

Over the past decade, a large number of studies have specifically examined the effects of artificial sweeteners on the gut microbiota, but importantly, most of this work has been done only in animals. Therefore, it is still incredibly unknown how these chemicals affect the human microbiome, and the few studies that have been done so far have paid off. Relatively inconsistent results.

This new study aims to fill a knowledge gap by recruiting 120 volunteers who had no recent intake of artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are so pervasive in all types of food that researchers had to screen well over 1,000 subjects before finding a small cohort.

The groups were randomly divided into 6 groups: 4 artificial sweetener groups (tested with either aspartame, saccharin, stevia, or sucralose) and 2 controls (one tested with glucose and one with one without intervention). For two weeks, each participant supplemented their diet with an assigned sweetener sachet. Stool samples were collected before, during, and after the intervention, and blood and glucose tolerance tests were also performed.

“In subjects consuming non-nutritive sweeteners, we were able to identify very distinct changes in the composition and function of gut microbes and the molecules they secrete into the peripheral blood,” said senior author Eran Elinab. “This seems to suggest that the human gut microbes are fairly responsive to each of these sweeteners. Two nutritive sweeteners, saccharin and sucralose, were found to have a significant effect on glucose tolerance in healthy adults.Interestingly, the microbial changes were associated with changes seen in people’s glycemic responses and highly They were correlated.”

To investigate whether changes in the microbiome directly cause changes in glucose tolerance, researchers took microbiome samples from human volunteers and transplanted them into mice that lack gut bacteria. , states that the effects on animals are staggering, with the altered human microbiome directly influencing the animal’s glycemic response.

“For all groups that received the non-nutritive sweeteners, these germ-free mice, but not the control group, had top responder microbiomes collected at the time they were consuming the respective non-nutritive sweetener. Upon transplantation, recipient mice developed glycemic changes that very markedly mirrored those of the donor individual. was.”

So what do these findings mean for the average person who occasionally consumes artificial sweeteners? Not so many.

Garner, who was not working on the new study, said the cohorts were too small to generalize conclusions and the results were incredibly broad, with some sweeteners having no effect on participants and others Garner also suggested that the doses of sweeteners used in the study were much higher than most people take in their daily lives.

“This is a very important restriction. Taking 180 mg of saccharin a day for two weeks is equivalent to taking 50 tablets or 18 sachets of saccharin daily,” Garner added. “I don’t know anyone who takes that amount. In the case of sucralose, the intervention involves taking 20 tablets of sucralose daily. Nobody does that.”

Other researchers not so important We call our research “rigorous” and “well designed.” Sarah Berry of King’s College London said the new study is interesting because it shows the transient effects of certain artificial sweeteners on glucose response in humans, but there are implications for long-term health from these findings. He stated that it was not possible to estimate the effect of

“Blood sugar levels rose after consuming two of the sweeteners (saccharin and sucralose), but not all (aspartame and stevia), suggesting healthier outcomes for the food industry as well as consumers. “We can let people know there are low-sugar options available,” says Berry. “However, more long-term studies need to be conducted before refilling and consumer advice can be offered with confidence.”

Elinav is keenly aware that the new findings are nowhere near a definitive answer to how artificial sweeteners affect the human microbiome. , that these food additives are far from the inert chemicals previously thought, and that their effects can vary greatly from person to person. We emphasized that the answer is not to go back to consuming high levels of natural sugars, as we have clear insight into the negative effects of

“In the meantime, we must continue to look for solutions to our sweet cravings, but avoid sugar, which is clearly the most detrimental to our metabolic health,” Elinahu added. “In my personal opinion, drinking only water seems to be the best solution.”

A new study was published in a journal Celpress.

sauce: Celpress