The Scary Effect Artificial Sweeteners Can Have on Your Gut

From the obvious to the not-so-obvious.

soda artificial sweetener
Image: Courtesy of Blake Wisz via Unsplash

By now, we all know that your gut microbiome plays a huge part in your overall health. It can affect your mental health (the gut-brain axis is real, people), it can change your entire mood, and yes, it widely influences your metabolism. But when it comes to what influences your gut health, it seems we’re finding new information each week.
Healthy gut habits can help in maintaining a good level of gut bacteria (you want those — that’s a positive thing!), and we know that vegetables and fermented foods are some of the prime foods you should be eating on the daily in order to keep your gut in check. But on the flip side, researchers just added one more ingredient to the “bad for your gut” list.
According to a study published in the journal Moleculesartificial sweeteners like the ones present in diet soda, can wreck havoc on your intestinal system.

woman beach fitness gut health
Photo by Marion Michele on Unsplash

For years, doctors, dentists, and nutritionists alike have all warned us against artificial sweeteners. They lead to weight gain, can affect your fertility, and even leaves you bloated. Read: nothing good here. And now, you can add gut damage to its long list of negative effects.
“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,” says Ariel Kushmaro, who worked on the research.
In the study, six different artificial sweeteners (and 10 sports supplements they were hiding in) were all cleared by the FDA. Unfortunately, the researchers determined that when they completed exams with mice, all of the tested artificial sweeteners (namely: aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium-k) were toxic to the gut microbe.
sugar in glass
Image via iStock

The most immediate effect, researchers warned, was that these sweeteners would cause a glucose intolerance and would slow down the metabolism, keeping you from properly processing and digesting your food intake.
But the worst part, researchers warn, is that these artificial sweeteners are not always obvious. Yes, they’re in diet soda, but they’re also loaded into other foods and drinks that are labeled as “low sugar.” The truth is, they’re highly likely to be in foods even without your knowing. Your best bet? Read that ingredients list and know what you’re looking for, and protect your gut so it can work for, not against, you.

Deep Sleep Support

Magnesium Breakthrough

Want to fall asleep faster and all through the night?

GET BETTER SLEEP

3X The Value Of Food

MassZymes

Want to absorb ALL the valuable nutrients from your food?

Improve Your Digestion

Good Bacteria Support

P3-OM

Want to protect your body from bad bacteria that’s causing bloating?

ELIMINATE BLOATING

Zeen is a next generation WordPress theme. It’s powerful, beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions.

Top 3 Stories

More Stories
Can Your Blood Sugar Problems Cause Hormone Imbalance?