Stick to sugar, guys…

Artificial sweeteners are not just a cruel way to insult to your barista: they are also a great way to poison yourself. Despite their cute names like “Sacharine” and “Aspartame”, a recent study has shown FDA approved artificial sweeteners and sport supplements are toxic to your digestive gut-microbiomes.

The investigation measured the toxicity of six artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium-k) and 10 sport supplements containing these artificial sweeteners. The bacteria found in the digestive system became toxic when exposed to concentrations of only one mg./ml. of the artificial sweeteners, making the current approved “acceptable daily intake” of artificial sweeteners—which (for the average adult), is 3,409 milligrams a day—look quite bizarre (for perspective, a 12-ounce can of diet soda contains around 200 milligrams).

The experiment was conducted by modifying bioluminescent bacteria, which glow when they detect toxicants and act as a microscopic ‘canary in the coal mine’. When exposed to artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, they duly lit up.