What the research says today.
“Consuming artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame may alter the gut microbiota, which could affect glucose metabolism.”
altering the gut microbiota
The Effects of Non-Nutritive Artificial Sweeteners, Aspartame and Sucralose, on the Gut Microbiome in Healthy Adults: Secondary Outcomes of a Randomized Double-Blinded Crossover Clinical Trial.
Ahmad S., Friel J., Mackay D.
Nutrients · 2020 · PMID 33171964
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Ask anything about your body. Get an answer backed by actual peer-reviewed research — with the study, the authors, and the mechanism explained clearly.
Your gut and brain maintain a constant two-way dialogue through the vagus nerve. This isn't metaphorical: your gut produces roughly 90–95% of the body's serotonin — not your brain. The enterochromaffin cells lining your intestinal wall synthesise serotonin in response to the microbial environment around them. When your microbiome is disrupted, that production shifts — and your mood follows.
Gut microbiota and mental health: in search of causal links
Gut · 2022 · PMID 34031177