Artificial Sweeteners Are Even Worse Than We Thought for the Gut
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A new study found that 3 artificial sweeteners could be even worse for gut health than we imagined.
Researchers here focused on the impact of 3 popular artificial sweeteners: Saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame. They looked at how these artificial sweeteners impacted 2 types of gut bacteria: Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis).
What they found was disturbing. With the equivalent of just 2 cans of diet soda, these artificial sweeteners could turn healthy gut bacteria into pathogenic or disease-causing bacteria.
When these formerly healthy bacteria went rogue, they attached themselves to and destroyed Caco-2 cells, which line the intestinal wall.
However, that damage went far beyond the gut. Researchers found that these pathogenic bacteria go on to create problems including sepsis or blood poisoning. They can also accumulate in organs like the liver, creating infections.¹ ²
What’s more, these pathogenic bacteria increased the formation of biofilms. Biofilms provide a protective shell for pathogenic bacteria, creating an ideal environment for them to secrete toxins and other molecules that can cause disease.³
What made this study so groundbreaking? For the first time, researchers found that artificial sweeteners can make normal and healthy gut bacteria become pathogenic.⁴
Thank you for reading so far! Before you go on, I’d love for you to get my FREE Sweet Treats Recipe Guide, with 15 yummy recipes.
The Wide-Reaching Impact of Gut Microbes
Even a little bit of artificial sweeteners can disrupt the over 100 trillion microbes in the gut. These microbes support immune health, detoxification, a healthy weight, and so much more.
You need the right amount of “good” microbes, but you also need a diverse range of those microbes. When that balance becomes disrupted — such as what happened when these two bacteria went from healthy to pathogenic — a condition called dysbiosis can result.
Dysbiosis literally means to fall out of harmony with. In this case, the not-so-nice microbes take over the scene and create havoc in your gut.
Dysbiosis can create gut inflammation, which eventually becomes systemic inflammation and contributes to diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. Dysbiosis eventually leads to the leaky gut that I write about extensively in The Virgin Diet.
Other studies have explored the connection between artificial sweeteners, gut health, and problems like obesity.⁵ One found that non-caloric artificial sweeteners could create glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiome.⁶
In another study, researchers gave mice sucralose in their drinking water for 6 months. They compared the microbes of mice fed sucralose versus those not fed sucralose.
Indeed, sucralose appeared to alter the gut microbiota, contributing to chronic inflammation that in this case, had impacted the lungs.⁷
With the 15 recipes in my free Sweet Treats Recipe Guide, you never need to settle for artificial sweeteners again!
5 Ways to Fix Gut Health
Research continues to show that the gut is the seat of overall health.
“When I say it all starts in your gut, I mean almost everything!” says Vincent Pedre, MD, in Happy Gut. “Headaches, migraines, allergies, autoimmunity, weight gain, acne, skin rashes, yeast infections, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, immune challenges, even the way you sense pain — they all relate to the condition and health of your gut.”
A healthy gut means a strong immune system, healthy inflammation levels, and much more. When dysbiosis occurs, eventually the entire body becomes impacted by those gut imbalances.
Gut issues like candida and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are complex, and sometimes demand working with a functional medicine practitioner who can determine the underlying causes of your gut problem.
But everyone benefits by maintaining gut health, and these 5 steps create a solid foundation to do that.
1. Ditch the artificial sweeteners.
This new study, as well as several before this one, shows that the only healthy amount of artificial sweeteners is zero. You’ve got plenty of alternative sweeteners that don’t create havoc as sugar or artificial sweeteners do. My favorites include small amounts of pure, organic stevia and monkfruit.
2. Nix all highly reactive foods.
Among the frequent offenders that I discuss in The Virgin Diet include gluten, dairy, and soy. Repeatedly eating these highly reactive foods lead to food intolerances, setting the stage for gut issues like leaky gut. Eventually, these food intolerances create a vicious cycle where leaky gut, inflammation, and food intolerance all reinforce one another. When you drop the top 7 high-FI foods and load up on healing foods, you’ll heal your gut. As an added bonus, you’ll drop up to 7 pounds in 7 days.
3. Step up your fiber.
Dietary fiber crushes hunger and cravings, but it also supports the trillions of hardworking gut microbes. I want you to eat 50 grams of fiber a day. Most people don’t get anywhere near that amount, and their gut health suffers. Increase your fiber intake slowly (say, by 5 grams every few days), and drink plenty of water while you do. Be patient: It may take you 1 to 2 weeks to get there.
4. Manage stress levels.
When you’re nearly constantly stressed, those trillions of microbes in the gut fall out of balance, paving the path for leaky gut and other problems. In fact, stress is one of the biggest drivers of leaky gut. You’re also more likely to overeat, and not things like Brussels sprouts!⁸ Find how you best manage stress. Yours might include exercise, meditation, yoga, having green tea with your bestie, or watching a funny movie. Stress management is a priority, not a luxury!
5. Get great sleep.
Studies show that subpar sleep — not getting enough sleep and/ or high-quality, uninterrupted sleep every night — can contribute to dysbiosis.⁹ To heal your gut, you’ll want to aim for at least 7 and preferably more like 9 hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep every night. Sleep hygiene is critical here. Mine includes a hot bath, chamomile tea, and a good (but not great) novel! Consider a sleep supplement that includes melatonin if you have trouble falling or staying asleep.
Finally, don’t forget about probiotics. These living organisms help balance the trillions of microbes that inhabit your gut. Prebiotics are the food that feeds those probiotics. Along with an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet, supplementing with prebiotics and probiotics might be the most powerful way to rebalance those microbes and support gut health.
Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice gut health or fat loss by eating something sweet.
This Sweet Treats Recipe Guide contains 15 decadent dessert recipes. You can satisfy your sweet tooth with these delightful recipes that are free of inflammatory gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, corn, and artificial sweeteners.
Before you go…
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References
(1) Shil A, Chichger H. Artificial Sweeteners Negatively Regulate Pathogenic Characteristics of Two Model Gut Bacteria, E. coli and E. faecalis. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 May 15;22(10):5228. doi: 10.3390/ijms22105228. PMID: 34063332; PMCID: PMC8156656.
(3) Deng Z, Luo XM, Liu J, Wang H. Quorum Sensing, Biofilm, and Intestinal Mucosal Barrier: Involvement the Role of Probiotic. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020 Sep 25;10:538077. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.538077. PMID: 33102249; PMCID: PMC7546212.
(5) Feehley T, Nagler CR. Health: The weighty costs of non-caloric sweeteners. Nature. 2014 Oct 9;514(7521):176–7. doi: 10.1038/nature13752. Epub 2014 Sep 17. PMID: 25231865; PMCID: PMC4449731.
(6) Suez J, Korem T, Zilberman-Schapira G, Segal E, Elinav E. Non-caloric artificial sweeteners and the microbiome: findings and challenges. Gut Microbes. 2015;6(2):149–55. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2015.1017700. Epub 2015 Apr 1. PMID: 25831243; PMCID: PMC4615743.
(7) Bian X, Chi L, Gao B, Tu P, Ru H, Lu K. Gut Microbiome Response to Sucralose and Its Potential Role in Inducing Liver Inflammation in Mice. Front Physiol. 2017 Jul 24;8:487. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00487. PMID: 28790923; PMCID: PMC5522834.
(8) Madison A, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2019 Aug;28:105–110. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.01.011. Epub 2019 Mar 25. PMID: 32395568; PMCID: PMC7213601.
(9) Matenchuk BA, Mandhane PJ, Kozyrskyj AL. Sleep, circadian rhythm, and gut microbiota. Sleep Med Rev. 2020 Oct;53:101340. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101340. Epub 2020 May 13. PMID: 32668369.
