It seems there is certainly evidence for this. Our intestinal beneficial bacteria are the seat of our immune systems, and they also help keep insulin and blood sugar at healthy levels by affecting digestion of sugars and production of gut hormones that control this process. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame K, and sucralose kill off good bacteria. These sweeteners are everywhere, and this is one of the MAIN reasons we eat real food, and we do not buy things pre-packed or processed.
The Journal of Nature shows that all artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance and insulin resistance by altering the gut microbiota which in turn may lead to type 2 diabetes. Stop and think about this for a second. That โinnocentโ sweetener you add to your coffee โ is it one of the chemical man-made sweeteners? If it is, maybe itโs time to stop it. These things have the power to completely change the flora in your gut โ this is serious. The whole community of organisms is affected, and you will end up the worse off with a weakened immune system These sweeteners are not harmless, they have far-reaching side effects from panic disorder to diabetes to brain tumours โ and even (can you believe this one) weight gain. But hang on, isnโt this why you are taking them โ to avoid weight gain? It amuses me to see the most overweight people piling in the artificial sweeteners in coffee shops, although I do feel sad when I see it. There are over 90 different symptoms attributed to the ingestion of aspartame alone, one of which is weight gain. Any chemical concoction in a lab will have side effects, and one is as bad as another โ so donโt fall for the hype. What gets to me most is that diabetics are encouraged to further destroy their already fragile health by using these as a sugar substitute.
Sucralose is another popular sweetener with a sting in its tail. Sucralose in humans appears to attack the nervous system producing cancer, birth defects and immune system destruction, and in animals swollen livers, calcified kidneys and shrunken thymus glands โ and it reduces gut flora by 50%. This is not food, and should not be put into the body. Itโs FrankenFood.
โI recommend only Stevia, Xylitol and Erythritol as safe sweetenersโ
Stevia is a sweetener herb also known as sweet weed, sweet leaf, sweet herbs and honey leaf.The leaves of stevia are sweeter than sucrose with zero calories and are totally safe when used as a sweetening agent. This plant also exhibits antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, antiseptic, diuretic, anti-fertility and cardiotonic properties. It has also been documented to have good effects on treating skin diseases such as dermatitis, acne, eczema etc.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is used as a sweetener. It can be found naturally or artificially prepared mainly from plant materials chemically or by fermentation of hemicelluloses from agricultural biomass by yeast or bacteria strains.Xylitol can reduce constipation, diabetes, obesity, and other body syndromes or illnesses; it has also revealed its stimulating effect on digestion and immune system. However, it can produce some side effects such as irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, nephrolithiasis, etc., when consumed in excessive amounts.
Erythritol is a naturally abundant sweetener widely used as sweetener in calorie-reduced food, candies, or bakery products. The use of eythritol has shown to decrease metabolic disorders, such as obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and fat accumulation in the liver. It also exerts anti-inflammatory effects in the intestine.
Links:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32031079/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32638045/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29196787/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8197374/