Sweeteners Across Generations: Gut Microbes and Metabolism Affected by Sucralose and Stevia in Mice

A mouse study in Frontiers in Nutrition shows artificial (sucralose) and natural (stevia) non-nutritive sweeteners can alter the gut microbiome and gene expression related to inflammation and metabolism, with effects passing to a second generation: sucralose impaired glucose tolerance in male offspring in generation 1, and by generation 2, fasting glucose rose in male sucralose descendants and female stevia descendants, while both sweeteners lowered short-chain fatty acids and increased microbial diversity. The researchers caution that results in mice may not translate to humans and call for moderation and further study.