Artificial sweeteners have become ubiquitous in our diet, found in everything from diet drinks to baked goods, chewing gum, and even toothpaste. While these additives are generally considered safe, studies have increasingly linked aspartame and sucralose to various health problems, including obesity and disruption of the gut microbiome. However, less research has been done on the potential side effects of newer artificial sweeteners like neotame, which was approved by the FDA in 2002 and is significantly sweeter than table sugar.
Now, a study from Anglia Ruskin University in the UK has found that neotame can directly damage the lining of the intestine and harm “good” bacteria that reside in our guts. “There is growing awareness of the health impacts of sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame,” said Havovi Chichger, an associate professor in biomedical science at Anglia Ruskin. “Our previous work has demonstrated the problems they can cause to the wall of the intestine and the damage to the ‘good bacteria’ which form in our gut.”
In the study, published in the journal ‘Food and Chemical Toxicology,’ Chichger and colleagues created a model of the intestine in the lab to investigate the effects of neotame exposure. They also added two common species of bacteria—Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Escherichia coli—that are often found in our digestive tracts to model the behavior of the gut microbiome.
The results showed that neotame exposure caused increased cell death and leakiness in the walls of the intestine. It also caused the usually harmless gut bacteria to begin acting in ways that could cause disease, such as clumping together into biofilms and adhering to and potentially invading the cells of the intestinal lining.
While these results need to be replicated inside a living organism, the study strongly suggests that exposure to neotame could disrupt the lining of our intestines and the balance of bacteria in our guts, which could eventually lead to irritable bowel syndrome and sepsis.
“Understanding the impact of these pathogenic changes occurring in the gut microbiota is vital,” said Chichger. “Our findings also demonstrate the need to better understand common food additives more widely and the molecular mechanisms underlying potential negative health impacts.”
Artificial sweeteners may be a convenient way to reduce sugar intake, but it is important to be aware of their potential side effects, especially on gut health. Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term consequences of consuming artificial sweeteners and to determine which ones, if any, are truly safe for regular consumption.
