Cambridge researchers have found that many widely used sweeteners can directly slow or alter the growth of bacteria found in the human gut. The strongest effect appeared when isosteviol, a sweetener used in foods and beverages, was combined with the antidepressant duloxetine.
In laboratory experiments, that combination sharply reduced two important bacterial species associated with digestive health and blood sugar regulation. It also produced changes that could influence inflammation and immune activity.
The researchers caution that the findings come from controlled laboratory tests, not studies involving people. More work will be needed to determine whether the same interactions occur inside the human body and whether they have meaningful health consequences.
Sweeteners May Not Be Biologically Inactive
Sweeteners are found in a wide range of everyday products, including soft drinks, candy, desserts, snacks, cereals, and some medications. They are often promoted as alternatives that provide sweetness with less sugar or fewer calories.
However, growing evidence has linked the consumption of some sweeteners with conditions including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. These associations do not necessarily prove that sweeteners directly cause those diseases, but they have raised questions about how the compounds behave inside the body.
One possible link is the gut microbiome, the enormous community of bacteria and other microorganisms living throughout the digestive tract. These microbes help break down food, produce useful compounds, support the intestinal barrier, and communicate with the immune system.
Despite the widespread use of sweeteners, relatively few studies have examined whether they interact directly with individual gut bacteria.
Professor Kiran Patil from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Cambridge said: “Most of what we know about the potential impact of sweeteners on our health comes from animal research or from population studies. While these studies have indicated involvement of the microbiome in mediating the effect of sweeteners, it’s difficult to know how sweeteners act in the body – is it through direct interactions with our gut bacteria?”
“Answering this is further complicated by the fact that we rarely ever take sweeteners by themselves – we take them with drinks, in snacks, or even in medication to mask bitterness,” added Dr. Sonja Blasche, a lead author of the study, also the MRC Toxicology Unit.
Source: SciTechDaily
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