More bad news for artificial sweetener users

October 1, 2018, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

 

FDA-approved artificial sweeteners and sport supplements were found to be toxic to digestive gut microbes, according to a new paper published in Molecules by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

The collaborative study indicated relative toxicity of six artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium-k) and 10 sport supplements containing these artificial sweeteners. The bacteria found in the digestive system became toxic when exposed to concentrations of only one mg./ml. of the artificial sweeteners.

“We modified bioluminescent E. coli bacteria, which luminesce when they detect toxicants and act as a sensing model representative of the complex microbial system,” says Prof. Ariel 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.”

Artificial sweeteners are used in countless food products and soft drinks with reduced sugar content. Many people consume this added ingredient without their knowledge. Moreover, artificial sweeteners have been identified as emerging environmental pollutants, and can 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  in the environment,” says Prof. Kushmaro.

 Explore further: Why zero-calorie sweeteners can still lead to diabetes, obesity

More information: Dorin Harpaz et al, Measuring Artificial Sweeteners Toxicity Using a Bioluminescent Bacterial Panel, Molecules (2018). DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102454

ChooseLife Reflects : When our daughter (after her extreme premature arrival) was in hospital, it was relayed that they routinely gave Sucralose after taking bloods, as an Australian study had shown benefits to the babies emotional wellbeing afterwards.

This shocked me as I am strongly against their use (personally), so I relayed that I would rather they did not.

The day following the Consultant, several Doctors and Nurses came to see us to relay that they were not not happy with my/our refusal. My response was to break the compound down chemically and relay that it is not found in nature, so I did not want it for our daughter, that it was an adjunct to a treatment which did not have any effect on the efficacy of the procedure (therefore optional). The Consultant acknowledged that I had researched things and this was therefore fine.

It is my belief that staff were drawn to it’s use, as they noted smiles and the like from the babies, ignoring the potential biochemical issues which may also ensue. The nurses felt better about stabbing these little babies to withdraw blood, as they left with babies appearing happier, with less tears and crying, ignoring the wider picture.

Here is a DuckDuckGo link to a search for = Sucralose Thyroid

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