A new study has shed light on the real dangers of artificial sweeteners to human health by showing the significant impact these substances can have on the gut microbiome. Artificial sweeteners can actually affect healthy gut bacteria. The latter, which becomes ill, can invade the intestinal wall, which can cause serious health problems.
This new study is the first to show the pathogenic effects of some of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame, on two types of gut bacteria, Escherichia coli (E.Escherichia coli) and E. faecalis (Enterococcus faecalis). Details have been published in the magazine International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Previous studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can alter the number and type of bacteria in the gut, but this new molecular research, led by researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), has shown that sweeteners can make bacteria pathogenic. It reveals that these pathogenic bacteria can attach to, invade and kill Caco-2 cells, important epithelial cells that line the lining of the intestine.
Increased resistance to antibiotics
bacteria like E. faecalis, which line the intestinal wall, can travel into the bloodstream and collect in the lymph nodes, liver and spleen, causing a number of infections, including sepsis.
This new study found that at a concentration equivalent to two cans of diet soda, the three mentioned artificial sweeteners significantly increased the stickiness ofcoli bacteria And the’E. faecalis to intestinal Caco-2 cells, differentially increasing the formation of bacterial biofilms.
Bacteria growing in biofilms are less sensitive to treatments (antibiotics) and are more likely to secrete toxins and express virulence factors, molecules that can cause various diseases. In addition, all three sweeteners tested induced invasion by pathogenic gut bacteria to Caco-2 cells located on the intestinal wall, except for saccharin, which had no significant effect on their invasion. coli bacteria.
« There are a lot of concerns about consuming artificial sweeteners, as some studies have shown that sweeteners can affect the layer of bacteria that support the gut, known as the gut microbiota. Said Dr Havovi Chesher, lead author of the study and lecturer in biomedical sciences at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).
« These changes can cause our gut bacteria to invade and destroy our gut, which can lead to infections, sepsis, or even multiple organ failure. We know that excessive consumption of sugar is a major factor in the development of diseases such as obesity and diabetes. It is therefore important to deepen our knowledge of sweeteners compared to sugars in the diet in order to better understand their impact on our health. “in conclusion.
