Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

« Back to Farmacia Journal 6/2024

ADDITIVE LOW CALORIE SWEETENERS AND THEIR IMPACT ON HEALTH

BASIT L. JAN 1, AJAZ AHMAD 1, KHALID M. ALKHARFY 1*, MOHAMMAD RAISH 2, SHAHIDA PARVEEN 3, MOHD. AAMIR MIRZA 4

1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
3 Department of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and Applied Medical Sciences, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4 Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (SPER), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India

Download Full Article PDF

Concerns about the health effects of sugary foods and drinks have led to an increased consumption of sugar-free alternatives. Artificial sweeteners, often hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, are widely used as substitutes. Despite being considered safe, their impact on the gut microbiota, glucose intolerance and sweet taste receptors remains controversial. Emerging evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners like sucralose, saccharin and aspartame may disrupt the gut microbiota, leading to reduced diversity and balance. This disruption, transmissible through faecal transplantation, has been linked to glucose intolerance, a risk factor for metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and obesity. Given the growing evidence connecting gut microbiota to metabolic health, understanding the effects of sweeteners on the microbiome and overall body homeostasis is essential. This review highlights the need for more in-depth research on the health implications of sweetener consumption to guide informed dietary choices.