The Study
Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Inflammation Markers: A Systematic Review of Animal Studies
This study looked at what happened to mice and rats when they drank artificial sweeteners — it found some signs of swelling and irritation in their bodies. But it didn’t test people, so we can’t say if it does the same thing to humans.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review.
Where the score came from
Scientists gave mice different sugar-free sweeteners and checked if they got more inflamed. Some sweeteners made mice more inflamed, especially in their guts and blood, but not all sweeteners did the same thing every time.
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 58 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Mouse doses are much higher than human intake — 100x more — so results may not apply directly to people.
- 2Aspartame and sucralose raised inflammatory markers in most mouse studies; sucralose also damaged gut lining and changed gut bacteria; acesulfame K and saccharin had mixed results.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2025
Authors
P. Raoul, Maurizio Romanò, Francesca Sofia Galli, M. Cintoni, Esmeralda Capristo, V. Mora, M. C. Mele, Antonio Gasbarrini, E. Rinninella
Related Content
Claims (6)
Scientists test artificial sweeteners on animals using way more than humans would ever eat, then say it’s safe for people by dividing that huge dose by 100—but that doesn’t match how much people actually consume.
When rats and mice are given saccharin (an artificial sweetener), sometimes their liver gets more inflamed, sometimes their gut gets less inflamed, and sometimes nothing changes—so the effect depends on how much they get, how long they get it, and what health condition they have.
If rodents eat aspartame over a long time, their bodies seem to show more signs of inflammation in the blood, brain, liver, and fat tissue, and some internal alarm systems that trigger inflammation get turned on.
When rats and mice eat sucralose, a common artificial sweetener, their guts get more inflamed, their intestinal lining gets weaker, and the good and bad bacteria in their intestines change — all of which might cause body-wide inflammation.
When rats and mice are given a lot of acesulfame potassium (an artificial sweetener), their guts and livers show more signs of inflammation, but if they get only a little or are in a different setup, no inflammation shows up—suggesting there’s a limit to when it causes problems.
When mice and rats eat artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose for a long time, their gut bacteria get out of balance, lose variety, and start acting more inflammatory—which might explain why these sweeteners could make the body more prone to inflammation.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.