(ANSA) – ROME, MARCH 16 – High doses of the sweetener sucralose reduce the immune response in animal experiments, according to a preclinical work published in the journal Nature, which fuels new doubts about the use of sweeteners as had recently done a research (in Nature Medicine) on another sweetener, erythritol, which could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
In this new study we talk about the effect of excessive doses of sucralose so it remains to demonstrate that the normal intake of the sweetener can have immunosuppressive effects, underline the authors of the research directed by Karen Vousden Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, in Glasgow.
Sucralose is commonly used as a sugar substitute in many food products, as it is calorie-free and approximately 600 times sweeter than sugar. While it is generally considered safe, some concerns have been raised about the long-term consumption of some sweeteners, including sucralose. To study the effects of excessive sucralose consumption, Vousden’s group gave mice high doses of the substance. The dosage was comparatively higher than that of normal human dietary consumption of sucralose-sweetened foods and beverages, and very close to the maximum acceptable daily intake of this sweetener (15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight according to the European Food Safety Authority or 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight according to the United States Food and Drug Administration). The mice showed reduced levels of T lymphocyte formation and differentiation (cell components crucial to the immune system), demonstrating that their defenses were somehow ‘blurred’. Researchers have found that sucralose affects the membranes of T cells and reduces their ability to signal enemies efficiently. Mice fed sucralose also showed variable decreases in T lymphocyte responses to infections and tumors. (HANDLE).
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