Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota

Jotham Suez, Tal Korem, David Zeevi, Gili Zilberman-Schapira, Christoph A. Thaiss, Ori Maza, David Israeli, Niv Zmora, Shlomit Gilad, Adina Weinberger, Yael Kuperman, Alon Harmelin, Ilana Kolodkin-Gal, Hagit Shapiro, Zamir Halpern, Eran Segal () and Eran Elinav ()
Additional contact information
Jotham Suez: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Tal Korem: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
David Zeevi: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Gili Zilberman-Schapira: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Christoph A. Thaiss: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Ori Maza: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
David Israeli: Day Care Unit and the Laboratory of Imaging and Brain Stimulation, Kfar Shaul hospital, Jerusalem Center for Mental Health, Jerusalem 91060, Israel
Niv Zmora: Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel
Shlomit Gilad: The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine (INCPM), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Adina Weinberger: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Yael Kuperman: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Alon Harmelin: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Ilana Kolodkin-Gal: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Hagit Shapiro: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Zamir Halpern: Research Center for Digestive Tract and Liver Diseases, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Eran Segal: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Eran Elinav: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel

Nature, 2014, vol. 514, issue 7521, 181-186

Abstract: Abstract Non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS) are among the most widely used food additives worldwide, regularly consumed by lean and obese individuals alike. NAS consumption is considered safe and beneficial owing to their low caloric content, yet supporting scientific data remain sparse and controversial. Here we demonstrate that consumption of commonly used NAS formulations drives the development of glucose intolerance through induction of compositional and functional alterations to the intestinal microbiota. These NAS-mediated deleterious metabolic effects are abrogated by antibiotic treatment, and are fully transferrable to germ-free mice upon faecal transplantation of microbiota configurations from NAS-consuming mice, or of microbiota anaerobically incubated in the presence of NAS. We identify NAS-altered microbial metabolic pathways that are linked to host susceptibility to metabolic disease, and demonstrate similar NAS-induced dysbiosis and glucose intolerance in healthy human subjects. Collectively, our results link NAS consumption, dysbiosis and metabolic abnormalities, thereby calling for a reassessment of massive NAS usage.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/nature13793

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