Men and women (ages 20–45) with low habitual nonnutritive sweetener use were assigned to take 90 mg capsules of sucralose or a placebo 3 times a day for 30 days.

The participants underwent blood testing following standardized 500-calorie meals before and after taking the sucralose or placebo.

The participants in the sucralose group had increases in postmeal levels of glucose (+132%), insulin (+23%), and GLP-1 (+68%), but other gut hormones (ghrelin and PYY) were unaffected. Insulin resistance also increased (worsened) in the sucralose group.

The effect of sucralose on postmeal glucose levels

Sucralose caused the gut microbiome to shift toward an inflammatory profile, with a loss of diversity of some types of gut bacteria, which suggests an adverse effect on gut health.

The sucralose group had higher rates of side effects, including headaches and bloating.

Sucralose may worsen blood sugar control Original paper