A recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that neotame, a new artificial sweetener, can damage the human gut by altering healthy bacteria and damaging the epithelial barrier, leading to serious health problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and sepsis. This study extends previous findings on artificial sweeteners, indicating that more research is needed into their safety and health effects. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Neotame, a new artificial sweetener, harms gut health by damaging bacteria and epithelial cells, increasing the risk of diseases such as sepsis and irritable bowel syndrome.
Neotame, one of the new generation of artificial sweeteners, can cause disease by damaging the human gut, according to a new study.
The study is the first to show that Neotam can cause previously healthy gut bacteria to become sick and invade the gut wall – which can lead to health issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and sepsis – as well as the epithelial barrier that forms part of the gut wall.
The research published today (April 24) in the journal Frontiers in nutrition And it was conducted at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), showing that Neotham directly damages the intestinal epithelium by not causing the death of epithelial cells and indirectly by damaging the bacteria that are abundant in the intestine.
of In vitro Research has identified different pathogenic responses following E. coli exposurecoli coli) and E. faeces (Enterococcus faecalis) including neotame in beverages, foods, and chewing gum leading to biofilm formation and adhesion and invasion by pathogenic microorganisms.
Some new artificial sweeteners are 1,000 times sweeter than sugar, which reduces the amount needed to be added to food and drink. Even at low doses, Neotham’s effects on the epithelium-microbiota relationship have the potential to cause poor gut health, which can lead to metabolic and inflammatory diseases such as irritable bowel disease or Insulin Resistance.
This new study on neotame builds on previous work by Dr Hovvi Chichger of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) which found that saccharin, sucralose and aspartame, among the most commonly used artificial sweeteners, cause similar damage to the gut.
Artificial sweeteners may play a role in weight loss and in helping individuals with glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. However, this new study, by Dr. Aparna Shil and Dr. Chichger of Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh, points out that more research is needed into the toxicity of some of the recently developed artificial sweeteners.
Dr Chichger, associate professor of biomedical sciences at Anglia Ruskin University and senior author of the study, said: “There is now a growing awareness of the health risks of sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame, along with our predecessors. Works showing the damage to our gut wall and damage to the ‘good bacteria’ in our gut.
“This can cause a variety of health issues, including diarrhea, intestinal inflammation, and infections such as septicemia if the bacteria enter the bloodstream. So it’s important to study the recently introduced sweeteners, and our new study shows that neotame can cause similar problems, including gut bacteria.
“Understanding the impact of pathogenic changes in the gut microbiota is critical. Our findings highlight the importance of better understanding the molecular mechanisms by which common food additives may affect health.
Reference: “Artificial sweetener neotame regulates intestinal epithelium through direct T1R3-signaling and indirect modulation of pathogenic to intestinal bacteria” by Aparna Shiel, Luisa Maria Ladira Faria, Carrie Ann Walker, and Hovvi Chichger, 2 Apr 2024; Frontiers in nutrition.
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1366409