<
https://theconversation.com/artificial-sweetener-could-harm-your-gut-and-the-microbes-that-live-there-new-study-228532>
"An artificial sweetener called neotame can cause significant harm to the gut,
my colleagues and I discovered. It does this harm in two ways. One, by breaking
down the layer of cells that line the intestine. And, two, by causing
previously healthy gut bacteria to become diseased, resulting in them invading
the gut wall.
The study, published in the journal
Frontiers in Nutrition, is the first to
show this double-hit negative effect of neotame on the gut, resulting in damage
similar to that seen in inflammatory bowel disease and sepsis.
To reduce childhood obesity, six years ago this month, the UK government
introduced a soft drinks industry levy. This “sugar tax” required a levy to be
paid for any soft drink – equivalent to manufacturers adding 72p for a
three-litre bottle of soft drink.
Since the levy was introduced, there has been a nearly 50% decrease in the
average sugar content of soft drinks. While reducing sugar content certainly
addresses childhood obesity, it does not give the same sweet taste perception
that consumers are used to experiencing in their diet. That’s where artificial
sweeteners can make a real difference.
Artificial sweeteners are chemical compounds are up to 600 times sweeter than
sugar with very few (if any) calories, and are cheap and easy for manufacturers
to use.
Traditional artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame
potassium (acesulfame K) have been found in a wide range of foods and drinks
for many years as a way to increase the sweet taste without adding significant
calories or costs.
However, in the last few years, there has been controversy in the field.
Several studies have suggested potential health harms associated with consuming
these sweeteners, ranging from gastrointestinal disease to dementia."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
