Coca-Cola’s switch from high-fructose corn syrup to cane sugar is making headlines, despite the fact that the beverage remains an ultra-processed food containing a whopping amount of sugar.
Many people switch from soda to diet soda to save the calories thanks to artificial sweeteners.
But diet sodas are not a harmless swap — they may disrupt gut microbes and metabolic health.
While more research is needed and evidence is not yet conclusive, many studies have shown negative effects of artificial sweeteners on gut microbes, although the response may vary from individual to individual.
Diet soda may promote insulin resistance, change how your brain reacts to sweetness leading to food cravings(!) and, counterintuitively, result in weight gain.
A study using an animal model measured increased fecal pH due to the artificial sweetener sucralose.
Nonetheless, if people enjoy soda and sometimes indulge in it, they may wonder: is it too much for my gut health?
At Coprata, we’ve designed a home gut‑health test to help people see how their choices affect their microbiome. It’s not about perfection, it is about guiding smarter, data-driven choices.
Sources
Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in malerats. J Toxicol Environ Health A.(2008). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18800291/
Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. The BMJ. (2018). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29899036/
Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. Nature.(2014). https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13793
High-dose saccharin supplementation does not induce gut microbiota changes or glucose intolerance in healthy humans and mice. Microbiome. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-020-00976-w
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