Consumption of the Non-Nutritive Sweetener Stevia for 12 Weeks Does Not Alter the Composition of the Human Gut Microbiota.

ABSTRACT: The use of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) as an alternative to caloric sugars has increased in recent years. Stevia is an NNS that has demonstrated beneficial effects on appetite and energy intake. However, the impact on the gut microbiota is not well understood. Therefore, we investigated how regular consumption of stevia, for up to 12 weeks, impacts the human gut microbiota. Healthy subjects with a normal body mass index participated in our study; the stevia group (n = 14) was asked to consume five drops of stevia twice daily, compared to control participants (n = 13). Faecal samples collected before and after treatment were analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Stevia did not cause significant changes in the alpha or beta diversity when compared to the control groups. Whe

SUBMITTER: Singh G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10821022 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature