Some Artificial Sweeteners May Have a Not-So-Sweet Impact on Our Bodies



It is not always true that drinking a sachet of artificial sweetener with zero or very few calories would have no negative effects on one's health.

According to a recent randomized controlled trial, regular ingestion of saccharin (marketed under the brand name Sweet'N Low) and sucralose (marketed under the brand name Splenda) can change the microorganisms in the stomach and improve the body's reaction to sugar.

Although it is assumed that these non-nutritive sweeteners are chemically inert, this may not be the case.

According to the results of a recent study involving 120 volunteers who declared they strictly avoided using artificial sweeteners of any kind, taking some zero-calorie sweeteners on a daily basis may have negative health effects, at least in the short term.

Participants who received daily sachets of saccharin and sucralose for two weeks showed distinct physiological changes seven days following the trial, in contrast to control groups who got a placebo.

They were less able to tolerate glucose because the sweeteners changed the composition and operation of their gut microbiota.

Immunologist Eran Elinav of the Weizmann Institute of Science and the German National Cancer Center said, "This seemed to show that gut bacteria in the human body are very susceptible to each of these sweeteners."

Other artificial sweeteners, such as stevia (commonly sold as Truvia) and aspartame (marketed as Equal), did not have the same impact on glucose tolerance.                                                                                                           
"We discovered that two of the non-nutritive sweeteners, saccharin and sucralose, significantly influenced glucose tolerance in healthy individuals when we looked at consumers of non-nutritive sweeteners as groups," Elinav continues.

"Interestingly, adjustments in people's glycemic reactions were substantially linked with changes in the microorganisms."

Researchers used mice to further examine how some artificial sweeteners alter the gut microbiota and the body's reaction to consuming glucose.

On the basis of the modifications discovered in the randomized-controlled study, researchers first constructed a microbiome. Then, scientists injected a group of sterile mice with this microbiota that was present in the stools.

It is possible that artificial sweeteners can truly cause changes in the stomach and modify what molecules are secreted into the blood because the changes to the animals' blood sugar levels closely matched those observed in humans. In turn, this may have an impact on glucose tolerance.

The findings are concerning given the widespread use of artificial sweeteners.

In the human trial, researchers administered artificial sweetener to participants on a regular basis in amounts far below the US Food and Drug Administration's advised daily serving. However, there was still a discernible impact.

Research has shown that changing one's diet can alter the composition of the gut microbiota in a matter of days, but we are still unsure of the potential effects of artificial sweetener use over a sustained period of time.

Since everyone's microbiota is built somewhat differently, it is doubtful that everyone will react to artificial sweeteners in the same way. Having said that, it's important to look into how our bodies are reacting to these products.

Artificial sweeteners are meant to pass through the human body undetected, but sugar is known to affect weight growth and glucose tolerance.

According to recent studies, aspartame-sweetened diet soda drinkers are twice as likely to be obese as non-drinkers.

The taste of sugar itself might contribute to the issue. Since saccharin is more than 200 times sweeter than sugar, it may have significant metabolic effects when it comes into contact with sugar receptors or microbes in the mouth or stomach.

Our minds, our urges, and the correct regulation of our blood sugar levels may all be impacted as a result of the consequences.

Artificial sweeteners have even been linked in recent years to cancer and dementia.

Elinav thinks that more people need to be made aware of the fact that non-nutritive sweeteners are not as harmless to the body as was once thought.

"Having said that, the clinical health implications of the alterations they may induce in people remain unknown and require additional long-term investigations," the statement continued.

We might have ripped open a brand-new packet of issues in our attempt to create a sugar substitute with no calories.

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