Carbohydrates play a major role in maintaining and promoting human health: from the provision of energy to maintenance of the microbial composition of the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the functions of carbohydrates in the diet include the following: provision of energy, formation of various body structures, and sparing of other structural proteins from being used to obtain energy.
However, sometimes there is a need to reduce consumption of carbohydrates. For instance, whenever there is a need to reduce weight or to control blood sugar level, people often resort to the use of non-caloric artificial sweeteners. The sweeteners replace glucose in the diet but provide little or no calorie at all hence help prevent weight gain. Some of the non-caloric sweeteners are; aspartame, saccharine, sucralose, aspartame, isomal, sorbitol, putified stevia extract, encapsulated aspartame and acesulfame –potassium.
These artificial sweeteners pose certain implications on people’s health. Such include risk factors to cancer and alteration of the biologic composition of the gastrointestinal tract. Different countries recommend different non-nutritive sweeteners. In addition, various sweeteners were recommended at various times in different countries. For instance, the use of aspartame was first approved in Canada in 1981. Since then, the sweetener has been in use.
Some studies have also reported that prolonged consumption of artificial sweeteners leads to an increase in glucose intolerance. For instance, a study by Suez and colleagues (2014) that involved rats as subjects reported a significant increase in glucose intolerance among the subjects that were chronically fed in non-caloric artificial sweeteners. This study reported several important findings. To start with, the study found that chronic consumption of non-caloric artificial sweeteners exacerbates glucose intolerance. To this end, Suez and colleagues fed the study group of mice with drinking water containing saccharine, aspartame, or sucralose for ten weeks. On the other hand, the control group was fed with drinking water only or water containing glucose or sucrose. The study group showed significant glucose intolerance. In addition, the study found that saccharine exhibits the most pronounced effect on glucose intolerance.
The study further found that glucose intolerance induced by prolonged intake of non-caloric sweeteners is attributed to the gut microbiota. In this case, Suez and colleagues treated the subjects in the study group with gram-negative antibiotics regimen. The control group received no special treatment but the normal diet. The results showed pronounced glucose intolerance among the subjects in the study group while no special observation concerning the subjects in the control group was made.
Further findings from the study revealed that non-caloric artificial sweeteners contribute to the functional alterations of the microbiota. In this case, the subjects in the study group were fed with saccharine. Observation of their microbiota composition revealed a distinct configuration from the one at the beginning of the study and those of the subjects in the control group.
All the findings made from this study were carried out using human subjects. In that case, similar findings were made. Therefore, this study concludes that a prolonged intake of nan-caloric artificial sweeteners, especially saccharine, is not advisable as it leads to the alteration of one’s gut microbiota composition. Consequently, it is advisable to employ other means for controlling calorie intake.
References
Byrd BC. Perspectives in Nutrition. New York: WCH McGraw-Hill; 2013.
Suez J, Korem T, Zeevi D, Zilberman-Schapira G, Thaiss CA, Maza O, et al. Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. Nature [Internet]. 2014[November 28]; 514(7521), 181-186. Doi.10.1038/nature13793
