How Do Artificial Sweeteners Induce Glucose Intolerance - Literature review Example

November Over the years, scientists and researchers alike have been mystified by the fact that artificial sweeteners do not aid in loss of weight. The fact that artificial sweeteners lack sugar or do not avail any calories to the human body is even more baffling. However, research has shown that artificial sweeteners have a direct impact on the ability of the body to make use of glucose. The body’s inability to utilize glucose, commonly referred to as glucose intolerance takes place when the human body cannot tolerate high amounts of glucose in the food consumed. Usually, it is the initial step to metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus. Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance through alteration of the composition of the gut microbiota, an aspect examined in this study. Comprehension of gut microbiota, artificial sweeteners, and glucose intolerance is vital. The study asserts alteration of gut microbiota is a means through which artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance. Artificial Sweeteners Induce Glucose Intolerance by altering the Gut Microbiota Introduction The role of sweet substances in the human body has been subject to much debate. Be they natural or artificial, over the years, researchers have studied their roles. Currently, research on sweet substances like sugar has increased dramatically owing to the increase in food products in the market that have been manufactured using them. It can be attributed to the changes that are occurring in regard to lifestyle. Of great interest is artificial sugars, commonly known as sweeteners. Advancement in technology has enabled the production of artificial sweeteners. According to Vij, they are composed of few calories, sweeter than natural sugar, give a sweet taste, and they are needed in minute quantities. Several of them like Saccharin, Aspartane, and sucralose have been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. Their usage is subject to an approved acceptable dietary intake developed by the FDA (Vij 100-101). The aim of this study is to look at the causal of glucose intolerance by artificial sweeteners through alteration of gut microbiota. It begs the question, what is gut microbiota? According to a study undertaken by Shen, Liu, Xu, and Zhang in 2012, the human intestine has around one hundred trillion micro-organisms. The researchers state that the microbiota plays numerous intricate roles such as their involvement in the breakdown of polysaccharides that can’t be digested by the host, and in the advancement of the body’s immune system. A conducive environment is paramount in the normal functioning of gut microbiota; hence, homeostasis exists between the host and the microbiota. Dysbiosis, which is the unsettling of the existing homeostasis has been known to cause certain conditions. The researchers note that the interaction of diet with the microbiota may cause variations in their composition (Shen, Liu and Xu 95). A study by Suez et al. proves that the intake of various artificial sweeteners leads to the advancement of glucose intolerance. How? The study indicates that the advancement of glucose intolerance is through initiation of functional and compositional variations to the gut microbiota, a statement that is in agreement with the study done by Shen, Liu, and Xu. However, in order to comprehend the study’s main proposition, it is important to understand what glucose intolerance means. Glucose intolerance can be defined as a term that stands for conditions associated with body metabolism. In particular, conditions that cause above higher blood glucose level in an individual (Suez et al. 181-186) In the study by Suez et al., mice were fed with water that had sugar or one kind of an artificial sweetener like saccharin. After two months and three weeks, they obtained different results. The mice that ingested the artificial sweetener depicted an abnormal increase in the levels of its blood glucose after its consumption of food containing glucose. This observation is what is usually termed as glucose intolerance. It must be remembered that glucose intolerance is normally observed as an initial phase in the advancement of diabetes. The mice showing glucose intolerance were then given antibiotics for one month, after which glucose intolerance stopped. What does this indicate? It indicates that gut microbial have a role to play in digestion (Suez et al. 181-186). Abnormal increase in blood glucose levels is a sign of the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a growing health concern especially with the change in lifestyle, where people are consuming foods and beverages riddled with artificial sweeteners day in day out. Thus, the role of gut microbiota is stated by Zhang et al., to be a likely new contributor to the increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Zhang et al., are also of the opinion that changes in gut microbiota have an intricate role to play in glucose intolerance (Zhang et al. e71108). Suez et al., went further to examine how artificial sweeteners induce glusose intolerance. Through the transfer of gut bacteria from the mice that had consumed the artificial sweetener saccharin to mice without micro-organisms, they found that, glucose intolerance had also been transffered. The study finds that mice that consumed the artificial sweetner saccharin had particular gut microbes. They did not only transfer gut bacteria to miro-organisms free mice, they also cultured gut microbiota from normal and healhy mice with the artificial sweetener. On culturing them, they again transferred them to micro-organisms free mice. By so doing, glucose intolerance was found to have developed in these the mice (Suez et al. 181-186). What does the research imply? The research implies that certain gut bacteria produce molecules that can raise production of glucose in the human body. As a result, the blood glucose levels spiral out of control and balance. It must be remembered that the artificial sweeteners used in the research are those permitted by the Food and Drug Administration. Zhang et al., also assert that, the moelcular composition of gut microbiota, especially at the gene level differs at different glucose intolerance levels. They say that there is a significant difference in the range of the functional genes of the microbes and their kind (Zhang et al. e71108). In human beings, the study by Suez et al monitored seven persons who had taken a large dose of the artificial sweetener saccharin. According to Rubin, the usage of Saccharin is depicted in packets. Saccharin as a sweetener is nearly 300-400 times sweeter than sucrose. Its acceptable daily intake is around 9-12 packets a day or 5 milligrams per kilogram of the body weight (Rubin n.p.). What did they find? Suez et al found that of the seven persons who had taken a large dose of the artificial sweetener saccharin, four of them showed symptoms of glucose intolerance. The symptoms for glucose intolerance may include the recurrent need to urinate, and a dry mouth (Eliopoulos 376). Hence, the researchers propose that the artificial sweetener saccharin could have contributed directly to glucose intolerance by altering gut microbiota (Suez et al., 181-186). Nowadays, people consume artificially sweetened beverages at a very high rate. Thus, people consume artificial sweeteners indirectly through the consumption of artificially consumed beverages. It is on consumption of these beverages that the gut microbiota is altered. When examined, the constitution of gut microbiota shows and describes the variation. In the case of the Suez et al., study, it was learnt that there were two diverse intestinal bacteria populations. Those that encouraged glucose intolerance on exposure to the artificial sweetener saccharin and those that bore no effect. The bacteria that are altered by artificial sweeteners are said to produce chemical substances that induce response that is similar to a glucose overdose. Conclusion It is evident that arificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering gut microbiota. Glucose intolerance is asociated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In order to curb the raise in the cases of this type of diabetes, it is important to understand the mechanism through which artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA alter the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota is important in the control of blood glucose levels. Studies such as that done by Suez et al have shown that, if altered, glucose intolerance is triggered. Glucose intolerance can be hindered by uptake of natural and not artificial sweeteners. Works Cited Eliopoulos, Charlotte. Gerontological Nursing. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2013. Print. Rubin, Alan L. Type 1 Dibetes For Dummies. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print. Shen, Dongqian, et al. "Human gut microbiota: dysbiosis and manipulation." Putignani, Lorenza. Human gut microbiota: onset and shaping through life stages and perturbations. Vol. 2. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2012. 95-98. Print. Suez, Jotham, Tal Korem and David Zeevi. "Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota." Nature 514.7521 (2014): 181-186. Web. Vij, Krishan. Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology: Principles and Practice. 4th. New Delhi: Elevier, 2011. Print. Zhang, Xiuying, et al. "Human Gut Microbiota Changes Reveal the Progression of Glucose Intolerance." PLoS ONE 8.8 (2013): e71108. Web. Read More