"Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Gut Microbiota"
A study from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, published in iScience, reveals that consuming non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) can significantly alter the microbial diversity and composition in the duodenum and stool, as well as affect circulating inflammatory markers. The research, part of the REIMAGINE study, compared the effects of non-aspartame NSS and aspartame on the duodenal microbiome against controls. Findings suggest that NSS consumption may have implications for metabolic and gastrointestinal health, with different sweeteners impacting microbial metabolic pathways and inflammatory cytokines in distinct ways. However, the study's limitations include a non-representative sample and a small aspartame group, with data collected at a single timepoint.