A study by researchers from the University of Cambridge has found that sweeteners in sugar-free soft drinks may slow the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, challenging the idea that sugar substitutes are metabolically neutral. The researchers studied how artificial and low-calorie sweeteners affect the bacteria living in the gut, and found that one sweetener derived from the stevia plant, isosteviol, significantly impaired the growth of certain gut bacteria when combined with the antidepressant duloxetine. The study suggests that the interaction between sweeteners and other compounds in the body could be a major factor in the growing evidence linking sweeteners to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer.
Sweeteners in sugar-free soft drinks may slow growth of beneficial gut bacteria
