Chemically manufactured sweeteners can cause significant damage to the intestinal flora. For this result comes a new Study from the University of British Anglia Ruskin at Cambridge. According to the researchers, artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame — which are mainly found in dietary versions of soft drinks — may encourage intestinal bacteria to enter intestinal cells. Focus was the first to report this.

Eleven sweeteners are currently approved in the European Union – but all have a state-regulated maximum dosage. This is because not enough research has yet been done on the long-term consequences of regular sweetener consumption. The study, published this year, now appears to prove that excessive consumption of artificial sweeteners causes pathogenic changes in intestinal bacteria – and in the worst case can lead to the destruction of intestinal walls.

Sweeteners have a negative effect on the intestinal flora

Sweeteners primarily interact with Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Enterococcus faecalis (E.faecalis) types of intestinal bacteria. Study lead author Havovi Chicher said, “There are many concerns about the consumption of artificial sweeteners, with some studies suggesting that sweeteners may affect the layer of bacteria that support the gut, known as the gut microbiome. Is known.”

Artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame can interact with healthy bacteria in the gut. This can increase the adhesion of intestinal bacteria. Adhesions form a tough bacterial film that covers the mucous membrane of the intestine and has a negative effect on the intestinal flora.

According to the study, just two doses of the well-known mild soft drink may be sufficient to increase the pathogenicity of E. coli and E. faecalis. Pathogenicity refers to the basic ability of infectious substances to cause disease in certain organisms.