Artificial sweeteners

I'm fascinated by the part about artificial sweeteners causing detrimental changes in gut flora.

Thanks, @Ruatine . I wonder if use of sugar alcohols, monk fruit, and stevia have an effect on gut microbiota.

Here's an abstract on maltitol, which increased Bifidobacteria and the production of short chain fatty acids: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7879346&fileId=S0007114510001078

And one on erythritol, likely not fermented by gut microbiota: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=924264&fileId=S0007114505002291

And one on xylitol and polydextrose: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00350.x/abstract?userIsAuthenticated=false&deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=

stevencloser wrote: »

senecarr wrote: »

Next, they tested these findings in humans, using a database with nutritional profiling in a large number of patients, with ongoing data collection.[1] They identified 381 nondiabetics in their database, with about 44% males. They looked at associations with glycemic control and ingestion of noncaloric artificial sweeteners. They had a very dynamic way to look at dietary recall with a validated dietary history questionnaire.

So they discovered people that are diabetic or near diabetic start drinking more diet pop and using more artificial sweeteners? Or more accurately, more of these people recall (dietary recall database) using products with artificial sweeteners? I am shocked!

I find the part where they were actually looking if it was causal better. Not only did they feed them the ADI which is likely many times higher than what normal people would eat, they had a whole 7 participants out of which 3 had no effect whatsoever but the article makes it out like that's a huge important finding.

Maybe there were differences in the gut microbiomes of the participants who showed no effect, that were protective. One thing about humans, rather than germ free mice who've had a standardized gut microbiome transplanted into them, is that our microbiota vary.

singingflutelady wrote: »

@lithezebra I don't know if sugar alcohols effect the gut microbe but they sure do effect my gut and have a major laxative effect for me (especially sorbitol) even in tiny amounts. I have Crohn's so my gut is very sensitive though.

Some of them do that to me too. It's likely that the different responses different people have to sugar alcohols is reflective of different microbial communities. I haven't found an article yet that discusses whether sugar alcohols change the makeup of the human gut microbiota. But it seems like a sweetener that some, but not all, microbes can eat would have to favor the species that can use it for energy, and any species that can use the metabolites from the initial breakdown of the sweetener, and any metabolites further down the chain.

stevencloser wrote: »

Can't access without an account.

Steven just do it the same way you do to get on MFP.

I haven't read all the links here, but I did read the medscape article and even though they write that they fed mice with saccharin, sucralose and aspartame they didn't really write about the effects of sucralose and aspartame, only saccharine.