Background:
In recent years, there has been a research interest in studying the interaction and unique composition of the human gut microbiota and its potential effect on certain diseases like MetS, Obesity, T2DM, CVD etc. Non-nutritive sweeteners are widely used in the areas involving weight management, calorie control medical conditions, and also in metabolic disorders In recent years, the non-nutritive sweetener research has been focused on its possible effect on the gut microbiotas and possibility of its indirect impact on the insulin resistance, obesity and other inflammatory conditions in the body. However, there has been no recorded large scale clinical data that has investigated the effects of NNS like aspartame and sucralose, on the human gut microbiota
Objective:
The double-blinded control study aims to determine the effect of sucralose and aspartame consumption on the gut microbiota composition, microbe diversity, and community structures. It also looks into secondary outcomes – Short chain fatty acids – that improve the functional aspects of gut microbes.
Methodology:
Study design: RCT, Double-blind crossover and controlled clinical trial
Inclusion criteria: Healthy/Non-diabetics, BMI (20-25 kg/m2)(, Normal fasting levels (<5.7 mmol/L), No regular consumption of NNS. (All women were approx. in the same phase of menstrual cycle and did not consume contraceptive pills)
Exclusion criteria: History of alcohol or drug abuse, Use of antibiotics or probiotics in past 6-months, Acute or chronic medical conditions, Metabolic/gastrointestinal disorders that could effect the outcome. (Pregnant and lactating women were excluded from the study)
Parameters: Weight, Blood reports (Glucose, Insulin, glucagon, GLP-1, Leptin) , Stool sample (SCFA), OGTT, FBG, Visual analogues (Taste panels), Dietary questionnaire
Dosage/Period: 14% (0.425 g) of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame and 20% (0.136 g) of the ADI for sucralose, 14 days
Sample size/sample description: 17 (10 males + 7 females), 18- 45 years
Results:
The daily consumption of either of the sweeteners, Aspartame and Sucralose did not influence the glucose metabolism nor did it effect insulin sensitivity. The relative proportions of the most abundant bacterial phyla and genus were similar pre and post treatment in the healthy subjects. However, they did show a difference in the beta diversity (P<0.05), suggesting that NNS could influence the gut microbes’ composition. The concentrations of all the short chain fatty acids evaluated through stool examination were not significantly different.
Conclusions:
The study suggests that daily repeated consumption of pure aspartame or sucralose in doses reflective of typical high consumption has minimal effect on gut microbiota composition or SCFA production
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