recently released a study, which found that Splenda is, well, not so splendid for the gut microbiota. The study found that in mice, the artificial sweetener Splenda negatively impacts the intestinal microbiota. And promotes Crohn’s-type disease in genetically susceptible hosts. The findings of this study suggest that consuming Splenda may be a serious risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Over a six-week period, Splenda was found to worsen gut inflammation in mice with Crohn’s-like disease. But had no substantive effect on those without the condition. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease of the digestive tract. Which often causes abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, bloody stools, weight loss, and fatigue. About 10-15% of humans who suffer from Crohn’s disease report that sweeteners make their symptoms worse.

My colleagues and I found that the numbers of Proteobacteria, a large phylum group of microbes, increased in the intestines of mice drinking water with Splenda. The artificial sweetener was found to stimulate the intestinal overgrowth of E. Coli (a member of the Proteobacteria group) and increased bacterial penetration into the gut wall. This was only found in mice with Crohn's disease.