Scientists have uncovered the effects of sweeteners on future generations

Sucralose and stevia can alter the gut microbiome and metabolism, and some of the changes found persist in descendants who have never consumed sweeteners themselves. This is the conclusion reached by researchers who studied the effects of two popular supplements on mice. Scientists found the most pronounced and long-lasting effects in rodents treated with sucralose. What the experiment showed and how the effects of using sucralose and stevia differ are described in the Izvestia article.

Sweeteners have been studied for several generations at once

The study was conducted on 47 male and female mice. The rodents were divided into three groups: one received regular water, the second received water with sucralose, and the third received stevia. The results are published in the journal Science Daily.

The dosages of sweeteners were selected in such a way that they corresponded to the amounts that a person could potentially receive as part of a regular diet. After that, the mice were bred to track the possible consequences not only for the animals that directly received the sweeteners, but also for their offspring. The first and second generations no longer consumed sucralose or stevia — they were given only plain water.

The scientists tested the rodents' glucose tolerance, an indicator that allows them to assess the body's ability to cope with sugar and detect signs of insulin resistance. In addition, the researchers studied the composition of the intestinal microbiome, the concentration of short-chain fatty acids, as well as the activity of five genes associated with inflammation, metabolism and the state of the intestinal barrier.

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Sucralose has a stronger effect on the microbiome and metabolism

The researchers found the most pronounced effects in mice treated with sucralose. Already the first generation of offspring showed signs of impaired glucose tolerance, and they were observed in males whose parents consumed this sweetener. In the second generation, researchers found elevated fasting blood sugar levels in males from the sucralose group. At the same time, the rodents no longer received the sweetener.

Sucralose also changed the composition of the gut microbiome more than stevia. The animals had more potentially pathogenic bacteria and fewer beneficial species. At the same time, the concentration of short—chain fatty acids, compounds produced by intestinal bacteria and involved in various biological processes, decreased.

The changes also affected the activity of genes. In animals exposed to sucralose, the activity of genes associated with inflammation increased and the activity of genes involved in metabolism decreased. Moreover, these changes persisted two generations after the initial impact.

Thus, it was sucralose that demonstrated the most lasting effect in the experiment: the changes simultaneously affected the composition of intestinal bacteria, sugar levels, and gene activity.

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The effects of stevia were weaker

Stevia had a slightly different effect on the mice. In the second-generation females, descended from animals that received this sweetener, scientists found elevated fasting glucose levels.

Like sucralose, stevia changed the gut microbiome. The animals increased the diversity of intestinal bacteria, but at the same time the concentration of short-chain fatty acids decreased. This combination may indicate a change in the products that intestinal microorganisms produce in the course of their vital activity.

The researchers also found changes in gene activity. However, compared to sucralose, they were less pronounced and did not persist for more than one generation.

Thus, the results of the two sweeteners cannot be completely combined. Both substances affected the intestinal microbiome and some metabolic parameters, but sucralose showed more pronounced and lasting changes, while the effects of stevia were weaker and disappeared faster in subsequent generations.

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What does intestinal bacteria and the work of genes have to do with it?

The researchers suggest that one of the possible mechanisms may be a change in the work of the intestinal microbiome. Gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids that are involved in regulating various processes in the body, including those related to gene activity. In the experiment, both sweeteners reduced the level of these compounds. According to scientists, changing the work of intestinal bacteria can potentially affect the expression of genes related to inflammation, the state of the intestinal barrier and metabolism.

The researchers also considered the possibility of epigenetic changes — that is, changes in the regulation of genes that do not affect the DNA sequence itself. This is how scientists are trying to explain how some of the discovered effects could persist in descendants who did not use sweeteners themselves.

However, so far this is precisely a possible mechanism, and not a definitively established explanation. The work shows changes in the microbiome, the level of short-chain fatty acids and gene activity, but does not prove that one process directly caused the other.

At the same time, the scientists specifically emphasized that the mice did not develop diabetes. These are small changes in glucose regulation and gene activity that could theoretically increase susceptibility to metabolic disorders under certain conditions, such as a high-fat diet.

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What the results mean for people

The study does not allow us to assert that the use of sucralose or stevia causes metabolic diseases in humans or that the consequences are really transmitted from parents to children. The experiment was conducted on mice, and the human body's response to sweeteners may vary.

In addition, scientists have found a link between the effects of supplements and changes in metabolic parameters, the microbiome, and gene activity, but have not proven that it was the sweeteners that directly caused all the observed effects. However, the results may have implications for further investigation of the long-term effects of low-calorie sweeteners. Of particular interest to researchers is the fact that some of the changes were observed in generations who themselves had never come into contact with supplements.

Thus, the work does not give grounds to declare sucralose or stevia dangerous to humans. It shows something else: the effects of low-calorie sweeteners can be more complex than just replacing sugar with a calorie-free product, and the possible long-term effects on the body require further study.