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Sweeteners may slow down growth of gut bacteria

(NewsNation) — A recent study found that sweeteners commonly used in foods and beverages may interfere with the growth of important gut bacteria that help support digestive health.

In research conducted by scientists University of CambridgeIt involved growing 25 types of gut bacteria, including beneficial, neutral and potentially harmful types, in a laboratory. The researchers then exposed the bacteria to 39 commonly used sweeteners.

The team tested both natural and artificial sweeteners and measured how well the bacteria could multiply.

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Nearly three-quarters of the sweeteners altered the growth of at least one type of bacteria, and some slowed or even stopped the growth of bacteria associated with a healthy gut.

The researchers also tested the sweeteners in combination with commonly used compounds, including caffeine, vanillin, advantame, and eight commonly used drugs, to determine whether these substances affected the results.

The study identified more than 100 interactions in which sweeteners behave differently when combined with other compounds. In 34 cases the combinations strengthened the effects, and in 68 cases they weakened them.

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Isosteviol, a sweetener widely used in the food and beverage industry and also associated with the antidepressant duloxetine, has been found to suppress two bacteria linked to gut health: Roseburia gutis and Parabacteroides merdae.

The researchers cautioned that the experiments were conducted in the laboratory, not in humans; This means additional research is needed to confirm any direct health effects.

“Our study suggests that artificial sweeteners do not pass through the body passively, but may interact with gut microbes and that these effects may be enhanced or modified by other substances such as drugs,” said the study’s senior author, Professor Kiran Patil. “These findings may guide new studies to understand how sweeteners may affect health in unexpected ways.”

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