Study finds zero-calorie sweeteners may trigger gut and gene changes across mouse generations
Research on mice shows that sucralose and stevia can reshape gut microbes and alter metabolic gene activity, with some effects persisting into offspring that never consumed the sweeteners.
Scientists divided 47 male and female mice into three groups, providing one group with plain water and the other two with water containing sucralose or stevia at doses comparable to typical human consumption. Over two breeding cycles, the offspring were switched to plain water, allowing researchers to track intergenerational impacts. Measurements revealed impaired glucose tolerance in male mice whose parents consumed sucralose, and elevated fasting blood sugar in later-generation males (sucralose) and females (stevia).
Both sweeteners increased microbiome diversity but lowered beneficial short-chain fatty acids, a pattern that persisted across generations. Gene-activity assays showed sucralose heightened inflammatory markers and suppressed metabolic genes, effects still detectable two generations later, whereas stevia’s gene changes were weaker and faded after one generation. The team emphasizes that the mouse data do not prove causation in humans and recommends moderation while calling for more long-term studies.
Why it matters
The findings suggest common diet sweeteners could have lasting metabolic effects, raising questions about their safety for human health.
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