Sugar substitutes altered gene expression across generations in mice

A study by Chilean University researchers found that the calorie-free sweeteners sucralose and stevia changed mice’s gut microbiome and gene expression, with some effects passed to offspring that had never consumed the substances, ERR reported.

The researchers divided 47 mice into three groups and gave them either plain water or amounts of sucralose or stevia corresponding to typical human consumption. They then monitored the original animals and two subsequent generations, which received only plain water.

The sweeteners reduced the amount of beneficial short-chain fatty acids produced by gut bacteria. Their effects differed, however: sucralose had a stronger and more persistent impact than stevia.

Changes in gene expression remained detectable in the offspring of mice given sucralose as much as two generations later. Male mice in the first and second generations also showed impaired regulation of blood sugar levels.

Stevia’s effects on gene expression did not persist beyond one generation.

The researchers said the sweeteners disrupted the normal activity of gut bacteria, causing the microbes to produce fewer fatty acids important to the body. Because these compounds also help regulate genes, their reduction can lead to epigenetic changes that affect gene activity and pass from parents to offspring.

The changes identified represent early biological warning signs in the regulation of metabolism and inflammatory processes, the researchers said. However, the mouse experiments do not prove that sweeteners cause the same processes in humans.

The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.