This commonly used sweetener could harm your gut

Common artificial sweeteners might cause serious damage to your gut, scientists warn. Additionally, new research suggests these additives could sicken initially healthy gut bacteria.


Since the 1970s, six of these sugar-free substitutes have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, with aspartame being the first in 1974. In France, aspartame was authorized in 1988 and its use as a sweetener in 1994. Although these additives are widely considered safe, studies have increasingly found that aspartame and sucralose, in particular, could be linked to a range of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and disruption of the gut microbiota.

However, much less research has been conducted on the potential side effects of some of the newer artificial sweeteners on the market.

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition by researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in the UK has found that neotame, a sweetener from this "new generation" identified by "E961" on food labels, could directly damage the intestinal wall and the "good" bacteria within our guts. The researchers discovered that exposure to neotame led to an increase in cell death and the permeability of the intestinal walls. Moreover, it caused ordinarily harmless gut bacteria to exhibit behaviors that could lead to diseases, such as clustering into biofilms and adhering to intestinal wall cells.

Neotame was approved by the FDA in 2002. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ruled in 2010 that it was safe. Since then, its use has been allowed in more than 35 countries. About 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar, it is used in various products, including beverages, foods, and chewing gums. However, according to the findings of this research, this sweetness hides potentially harmful health effects, possibly leading to irritable bowel syndrome and sepsis.