The Study
19-OR: Sucralose Consumption Decreases Insulin Sensitivity and Modifies the Gut Microbiota in Healthy Individuals
This study gave some people sugar-free sweetener and others a fake one, then checked if their bodies responded differently. It found a small change in how their bodies used sugar and their gut bacteria. But it only tested 24 people for one month, so we can't say it will do the same for everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study gave healthy people a small daily dose of sucralose (like Splenda) for a month to see if it changed how their body handles sugar.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 562 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — even a small, safe dose of sucralose can impair how well your body uses insulin, which could raise diabetes risk over time, especially if you don’t usually consume artificial sweeteners.
- 2After 30 days, their insulin sensitivity dropped by a statistically significant amount (p<0.01), their gut bacteria became less diverse (p<0.0002), and a harmful bacterial byproduct (LPS) increased in their blood.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Diabetes
Year
2024
Authors
A. Romo-Romo, M. Sánchez-Tapia, Nimbe Torres, C. A. Aguilar-Salinas, Alexandro J. Martagon, María GUADALUPE LÓPEZ-CARRASCO, L. E. Guillén-Pineda, Paola Gómez-Avilés, Griselda X. Brito, F. Gómez-Pérez, P. Almeda-Valdés
Related Content
Claims (6)
Consuming saccharin and sucralose for a short time changes gut bacteria and reduces the body's ability to regulate blood sugar in some people, while acesulfame-K and stevia do not produce these effects.
Consuming sucralose for 30 days raises levels of lipopolysaccharide in the blood and increases the abundance of the bacterium Bacteroides fragilis in healthy individuals who do not regularly consume artificial sweeteners.
In healthy people who do not regularly consume artificial sweeteners, taking sucralose for 30 days is linked to decreased insulin sensitivity, changes in gut bacteria, and higher levels of endotoxin in the blood.
Daily consumption of sucralose at a moderate dose for 30 days lowers insulin sensitivity in people who do not regularly consume artificial sweeteners, as shown by reduced glucose uptake during a standardized metabolic test.
Consuming sucralose for 30 days reduces the variety of microbial species in the gut of people who do not regularly use artificial sweeteners.
Consuming sucralose at 30% of the recommended daily limit for 30 days does not change body weight, fat mass, or physical activity levels in people who do not regularly use it.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.