How Artificial Sweeteners Destroy Your Gut

Zero calories often means zero nutrition and a host of potential problems

Already known to have negative effects on healthy gut bacteria, a new study shows artificial sweeteners can make beneficial bacteria pathogenic, potentially increasing your risk of serious health conditions. Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock

After years of investigation about the dangers of artificial sweeteners, I wrote a book, “Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, NutraSweet, and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health,” and published it in 2006. Since then, I’ve been warning the world about the ever-growing evidence that artificial sweeteners can damage your health in many ways. Now, new research finds that gut microbiome damage from artificial sweeteners is even greater than was previously thought.

Scientists have found that three of the most popular artificial sweeteners, including sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, and Sugar Twin), and saccharin (Sweet'n Low, Necta Sweet, and Sweet Twin) have a pathogenic effect on two types of gut bacteria.