Researchers Say Artificial Sweeteners May Be Toxic To Gut Microbes

(Newswire.net — September 14, 2022) Orlando, FL — Over the years, researchers have been looking into the effects of certain food ingredients on human health. These include artificial sweeteners, which experts warn consumption against.

A study was carried out and published in Molecules.

It was carried out by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

In this study, the investigators found that FDA-approved artificial sweeteners and sports supplements were toxic to digestive gut microbes.

In this collaborative study, it has been indicated that there is relative toxicity of six artificial sweeteners and 10 sports supplements containing these artificial sweeteners.  These artificial sweeteners are aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium-k.

When exposed to concentrations of only one mg./ml. of the artificial sweeteners, the bacteria found in the digestive system became toxic. According to Prof. Ariel Kushmaro,  they modified bioluminescent E. coli bacteria, which luminesce when they detect toxicants and act as a sensing model representative of the complex microbial system.

 Prof. Kushmaro, John A. Ungar Chair in Biotechnology in the Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, and member of the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev. 

“This is further evidence that consumption of artificial sweeteners adversely affects gut microbial activity which can cause a wide range of health issues,” Prof. Kushmaro said.

Nowadays, the use of artificial sweeteners is widespread in the most commonly consumed food products and soft drinks with reduced sugar content. It is worth realizing that several people actually consume this ingredient even without knowing it. It is further worth noting that experts identify artificial sweeteners as emerging environmental pollutants. They can even be found in drinking and surface water, and groundwater aquifers.

“The results of this study might help in understanding the relative toxicity of artificial sweeteners and the potential of negative effects on the gut microbial community as well as the environment.

Furthermore, the tested bioluminescent bacterial panel can potentially be used for detecting artificial sweeteners in the environment,” says Prof. Kushmaro.

Scientists have long been stressing the relevance of maintaining a healthy gut. It is worth realizing that aside from avoiding or reducing intake of harmful ingredients, it is also wise to take into account using formulas like Divine Bounty Digestive Enzymes. 

This extra-strength supplement is specifically made to provide consumers with gut health-enhancing ingredients. Divine Bounty Digestive Enzymes contain 500 mg of digestive enzymes, namely lipase, amylase, invertase, Glucoamylase, papain, and bromelain. It even has prebiotics and probiotics. For every bottle, it offers 90 Vegetarian highly potent and pure capsules. (https://www.amazon.com/Digestive-Enzymes-Probiotics-90-Capsules/dp/B076MDX648).