Fake sugars can sicken healthy gut bacteria which can invade the intestinal wall and lead to many health problems.
- Pathogenic bacteria can attach, invade and kill Caco-2 cells, epithelial cells that line the wall of the intestine and through which urine passes.
- At a concentration equivalent to two cans of diet soda, artificial sweeteners significantly increase the adhesion of E. coli and E. faecalis to intestinal Caco-2 cells.
- Sweeteners also cause the body to be more resistant to antimicrobial treatments.
Artificial sweeteners, or fake sugars, are harmful to health. This nuisance notably involves a disruption of the intestinal microbiota. In a new study, published May 15 in theInternational Journal of Molecular SciencesBritish researchers have shown the pathogenic effects of some of the most widely used artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame on two types of gut bacteria: E. coli (Escherichia coli) and E. faecalis (Enterococcus faecalis ).
Less effective antimicrobial treatments
Previous studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can alter the number and type of bacteria in the gut. This time, the researchers report that these pathogenic bacteria can attach, invade and kill Caco-2 cells, which are epithelial cells that line the wall of the intestine and through which urine passes. Bacteria that populate the microbiota, including E. faecalis, are known to enter the bloodstream and congregate in the lymph nodes, liver and spleen, and cause a number of infections such as sepsis.
In this new research, scientists found that at a concentration equivalent to two cans of diet soda, all three artificial sweeteners significantly increase the adhesion of E. coli and E. faecalis to intestinal Caco-2 cells. These will also lead to increased formation of biofilms which lead to more effective antimicrobial treatments and are more likely to secrete toxins. All three sweeteners caused pathogenic gut bacteria to invade Caco-2 cells present in the gut wall, with the exception of saccharin which had no significant effect on the invasion of E. coli.
Sweeteners, a false good alternative to sugar
“These changes could lead to an invasion of our own gut bacteria and damage to our gut, which may be linked to infection, sepsis and multiple organ failure.says Dr. Havovi Chichger, lead author of the study. We know that the overconsumption of sugar is a major factor in the development of diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Therefore, it is important that we increase our knowledge of sweeteners versus sugars in the diet to better understand the impact on our health..”
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