Do You Drink Coffee with Stevia? This Article is for You

In recent years, stevia has become a common sugar substitute for sweetening both hot and cold beverages. However, a new study conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev indicates that this popular sweetener might disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut.

In recent years, many countries have adopted policies to reduce sugar consumption among citizens. As part of this, standards have been set to reduce sugar in many products, prompting food manufacturers to incorporate and increase the use of artificial sweeteners. Due to reports of harmful effects attributed to artificial substances, the use of stevia, which is plant-based, has grown, as it is considered a safe sweetener.

The study, published in the journal Molecules, discovered that stevia compounds affect communication between intestinal bacteria. Bacteria in a given environment communicate chemically to synchronize their activities and jointly express genes related to survival and resistance, thereby creating a competitive advantage over other bacterial strains. These messages are encoded using small chemical molecules, representing signals transmitted among bacterial cells, allowing them to count their own kind—effectively a census conducted for other bacteria in their vicinity. Therefore, interference with this communication may alter the balance of power among these bacteria.

The researchers examined the effect of stevia, steviol, and stevioside extracts on inter-bacterial communication. Using computer simulations, the study presented a mechanism by which stevia and its components disrupt this target receptor. Several bacterial communication systems were also examined as part of the research, suggesting that significant consumption of stevia could disrupt the balance of gut bacteria.

The research team from the university in Beersheba includes Prof. Ariel Kushmaro, Dr. Karina Golberg, and Or Shar from the Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, as well as Prof. Robert Marks, head of the Department of Biotechnology Engineering. The study was also conducted in collaboration with Dr. Karem Tarabe and Victor Markus from Near East University in Cyprus, and Dr. Nazmi Ozer from Hacettepe University in Turkey.

"The communication system among intestinal bacteria is essential, enabling organized and optimal bacterial behavior," explains Dr. Golberg. "This system allows bacteria to adjust their genes according to bacteria density, and if this delicate balance is disrupted, health effects may arise."