Study suggests sucralose, etc. may affect the microbiome for the worse

Originally posted on futurefood.hellobox.co.

The linked article suggests that Sucralose, a common artificial sweetener that is used in many meal-replacements, may affect the intestinal microbiota and so, indirectly, cause glucose intolerance. Like many scientific papers, it is not an easy read. In this post I am going to read it and try to make its implications clear.

The article is worth this effort because, if the results are confirmed by further work, they will mean serious headaches for meal replacement makers who already struggle to convince the public that living on a manufactured powder is at least as healthy as living on the typical diet in the developed world.

Let’s unpack the findings using quotes from the study and other links. We need to clarify three important terms: Non-caloric Artificial Sweetener, abbreviated NAS; microbiome, and glucose intolerance.

Continue reading original article…