Search Results (185)

Background/Objectives: Dietary modifiers of the gut ecosystem may influence intestinal and host responses associated with psychological stress. However, it remains unclear whether sucralose, a widely consumed non-nutritive sweetener, alters host–microbiota interactions following chronic stress exposure. We investigated the effects of short-term experimental sucralose exposure in mice previously subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS). Methods: Following completion of the CRS protocol, mice received 0.03% or 0.1% sucralose in drinking water for 12 days. Intestinal phenotypes, cecal microbial community structure, microbial metabolites, colonic epithelial gene expression, and epithelial serotonergic responses following allyl isothiocyanate (AITC)-induced visceral stimulation were evaluated. Results: Colon length was significantly reduced in the 0.1% sucralose group, whereas intestinal permeability remained unchanged. Sucralose selectively altered colonic epithelial gene expression and was associated with changes in cecal microbial community structure without marked changes in alpha diversity. The relative abundance of Bacteroides acidifaciens was significantly reduced, particularly in the 0.1% sucralose group. Fecal acetate and cecal tryptophan concentrations were decreased following sucralose exposure. Following AITC-induced visceral stimulation, the CRS + 0.1% sucralose group exhibited reduced immobility behavior together with increased epithelial serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations. Conclusions: In mice previously exposed to CRS, short-term sucralose exposure was associated with colon shortening, differences in cecal microbial community structure, reduced Bacteroides acidifaciens abundance, decreased fecal acetate and cecal tryptophan concentrations, and altered epithelial serotonergic responsiveness following visceral stimulation. The behavioral and epithelial serotonergic findings suggest that prior stress exposure may influence selected host responses to sucralose. These findings provide a basis for future studies examining how dietary sweeteners modify host–microbiota interactions following chronic stress exposure. Full article

Background/Objectives: The oral microbiome plays a central role in maintaining oral health from early life, with childhood representing a critical period for its establishment and long-term stability. While many environmental factors influence this dynamic microbial ecosystem, diet is distinct in being both universal and highly modifiable. This systematic review aims to evaluate and synthesize current evidence regarding the impact and mechanisms of distinct dietary habits, food matrices, and nutritional components on the composition, diversity, and ecological resilience of the pediatric oral microbiome. Methods: A literature review aligned with PRISMA guidelines was conducted via digital searches on PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane databases (January 2015–December 2025). Search strategies combined MeSH terms and keywords targeting “Microbiota”, “Mouth”, “Child”, “Diet”, and “Oral health”. Results: From 1068 records identified, 16 relevant articles met the inclusion criteria. Dietary habits may influence taxonomic and functional profiles. Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, sucrose-rich sodas, and sweet treats induces notable dysbiosis and enriches acidogenic/aciduric taxa. Conversely, protective food matrices, including probiotic-fortified dairy products, polyol-based sugar-free chewing gums (xylitol and maltitol), bovine milk, and bioactive-rich agents like green tea, actively suppress cariogenic pathways (specifically Streptococcus mutans) and support commensal, health-associated genera without disrupting overall microbial structures. Conclusions: Diet represents an important modifiable factor shaping the pediatric oral microbiome, capable of either driving dysbiosis or reinforcing symbiosis. Cultivating a microbiome-informed dietary approach early in childhood supports a resilient microbial architecture, offering a non-invasive, public health framework for long-term oral and systemic disease prevention. Full article

Background/Objectives: There is continuing debate regarding the association between added sugars (AS) consumption and overall diet quality, which remains a research gap within the Canadian population. This study aimed to assess the association between intakes of added sugars and the Healthy Eating Food Index (HEFI) 2019 that measures adherence to Canada’s Food Guide as an indicator of diet quality. Methods: The first 24 h dietary recalls of Canadians 2 years and older (n = 19,532) from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey—Nutrition were used. Added sugars intakes were calculated based on a systematic 10-step algorithm. Descriptive statistics were obtained for total HEFI and component scores across different AS intake categories. The association between AS categories and HEFI scores was tested using a generalized linear model adjusted for age, sex, education level, type of smoker, and misreporting status. Results: The association between continuous AS intake and HEFI scores was non-linear. In the categorical model, AS intake categories were inversely associated with HEFI scores among Canadians (R² = 0.32, p < 0.001). Large overlaps in HEFI scores were observed among individuals with similar AS intakes for the whole population and each age group. Among high AS consumers (>15% EI), lower HEFI scores were largely due to higher proportions of sweetened beverages (i.e., low beverage scores) and lower intakes of vegetables and fruit and plant-based proteins. Scores for protein food and whole grains were low across all AS intake categories. Conclusions: Large variations in overall HEFI scores were observed amongst those with similar AS intakes, suggesting that added sugars alone may not fully capture overall diet quality or adherence to Canada’s Food Guide. Full article

Food additives are consumed as mixtures in ultra-processed foods, but their independent contribution to glucose dysregulation is difficult to separate from diet quality and food matrix. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to 30 April 2026, followed by a supplementary PubMed update on 26 July 2026. This critical narrative review integrates epidemiological, human-intervention, animal, ex vivo, and mechanistic evidence. Successive NutriNet-Santé analyses associate several additive co-exposure profiles, emulsifiers, preservatives, food colouring additives, and non-nutritive sweeteners with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, these analyses use substantially overlapping participants, lack independent additive-specific cohort replication, and remain vulnerable to residual confounding. Experimental evidence is strongest for selected emulsifiers and sweeteners, which may alter gut microbiota, intestinal barrier function, inflammatory signalling, or short-term glycaemic responses. No human trial has demonstrated the complete pathway from additive exposure to clinically meaningful insulin resistance or diabetes, and null or compound-specific findings argue against a uniform class effect. Current evidence therefore supports biological plausibility, not causality or additive-specific clinical recommendations. Longer controlled feeding trials should test realistic mixtures while holding the food matrix constant and should incorporate exposure validation, repeated microbiome and metabolomic sampling, intestinal permeability measures, and validated insulin-sensitivity endpoints. Full article

Excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) containing non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) has been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), yet the effects of erythritol on intestinal inflammation remain poorly understood. In this study, we assessed NNS-containing UPF exposure in patients with IBD and healthy controls, and then investigated the effects of erythritol in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) results showed that patients with IBD, particularly those with active disease, had a higher proportion of NNS-containing UPF categories among total UPFs consumed. In mice, erythritol administration exacerbated DSS-induced colitis, as evidenced by sustained body weight loss, increased disease activity index, impaired intestinal barrier integrity, and elevated inflammatory cytokine expression. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of ferroptosis-related pathways in the colonic mucosa of erythritol-treated colitic mice. Furthermore, erythritol markedly altered gut microbial composition, characterized by increased abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria and enrichment of Alistipes sp. CHKCI003. Untargeted metabolomics demonstrated alteration of tryptophan metabolism. Consistently, erythritol aggravated depression-like behavior in DSS-induced mice. Collectively, these findings suggest that erythritol exacerbates experimental colitis and depression-like behavior, potentially through microbiota dysbiosis, ferroptosis-associated alterations, and disrupted tryptophan metabolism. Full article

As obesity, diabetes and other diet-related metabolic disorders continue to rise, non-nutritive artificial sweeteners (NASs) are widely used as sugar substitutes in free-sugar reduction and weight-management strategies, but their effects on the gut microbiota, host metabolism and related health outcomes remain debated. To clarify this evidence landscape, this review synthesizes current knowledge on the effects of major NAS on the gut microbiota and host metabolic and health-related outcome. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to characterize the development, knowledge structure and thematic evolution of this research area. For the eight NAS exposure categories included in this review (saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone and mixed NAS), we performed a compound-specific analysis integrating physicochemical characteristics, regulatory status, and research findings from in vitro, ex vivo, animal and human studies on gut microbiota alterations, host metabolic and health-related outcomes. These findings were further compared through four interpretive dimensions: exposure conditions, research model background, outcome assessment and interpretation of discordant results. Current research evidence does not support a class-wide conclusion that NAS are uniformly harmful or safe. To make research findings searchable, we developed the NAS-MAP knowledge graph, an interactive non-nutritive artificial sweetener–microbiota-associated phenotype knowledge graph. Overall, this review consolidates current knowledge, clarifies the sources of inconsistent findings, and provides a framework for more mechanistically informative studies, standardized evidence reporting, and more precise sweetener-, exposure- and population-specific dietary and public health guidance. Full article

Background: Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) continues to rise alongside a growing body of epidemiological evidence linking high UPF intake to adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, in the general population. However, the factors underlying these associations remain incompletely understood, underscoring the need to examine components beyond traditional nutrient composition. In particular, food-processing additives are increasingly recognized as defining features of industrially formulated UPFs. Objective/Methods: In this study, we used a large food label database to cross-sectionally examine the presence and co-occurrence of selected additives (sorbates, benzoates, phosphate additives, and non-nutritive sweeteners [NNSs]) in sweetened beverages sold by the 25 top-selling U.S. food and beverage manufacturers in 2020. Results: We found that sweetened beverages marketed in the U.S. frequently contain multiple additive classes concurrently, supporting the concept that these products represent complex chemical exposure mixtures rather than simple combinations of water and sweeteners. Formulations containing multiple additives were substantially more common than simpler formulations, with many beverages simultaneously containing combinations of sweeteners, preservatives, and phosphate additives. Products containing NNS exhibited higher additive clustering compared to products containing added sugar. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings support the need for broader consideration of beverage formulation complexity in nutrition research, dietary guidance, and policy regulation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Maternal nutrition and physical activity are modifiable behaviours relevant to pregnancy outcomes, but higher activity may coexist with both favourable and unfavourable dietary patterns. This study examined associations between pregnancy physical activity, individualised fruit–vegetable adequacy, energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) food and beverage intake, and preterm birth. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1048 postpartum women with singleton live births recruited consecutively at a tertiary maternity hospital in Romania. Physical activity during the last three months of pregnancy was assessed using the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire and categorised into quartiles of total MET-hours/week. Dietary intake was assessed using an adapted food frequency questionnaire. Fruit–vegetable adequacy was evaluated against individualised recommendations, and EDNP intake was summarised using a composite score derived from fast food, sweets, chocolate, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Preterm birth was defined as delivery before 37 completed weeks of gestation. Results: Preterm birth occurred in 118 cases (11.3%). Higher physical activity categories showed greater fruit–vegetable intake and adequacy, but also higher EDNP intake. After adjustment for maternal age, pregestational BMI, parity, education, and income, physical activity category remained associated with all modelled dietary outcomes. Category 4 had higher odds of fruit–vegetable adequacy than category 1 (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.55–3.24). In diet-informed models, category 3 had the lowest odds of preterm birth (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.21–0.68). Conclusions: Total physical activity during pregnancy was associated with a complex dietary profile rather than a uniformly favourable lifestyle pattern. The lowest odds of preterm birth were observed in the third activity category, suggesting a non-linear association. Full article

Background/Objectives: Stevia rebaudiosides represent a class of compounds extracted from the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant or produced via yeast fermentation, which provide a sweet taste with little to no calories. These compounds are commercially referred to as stevia and are used in the food industry to reduce sugar in foods and beverages. Stevia is a non-nutritive sweetener (NNS), which is a class of ingredients which represent both artificial and plant-based sweeteners. NNSs are widely used and have been well studied. However, their effects on efficacy for weight management as a sugar reduction tool and overall metabolic effects are inconsistent. Of the approved NNSs for use, stevia is relatively new and one of the least studied. However, recent human clinical research has provided insights into stevia’s metabolic effects, effects on the gut microbiome and effects on weight management when used to replace sugar. The objective of this narrative review of human clinical studies is to provide an overview of the effects of stevia rebaudiosides (largely rebaudioside A) on glucoregulatory and cardiometabolic functions, as well as their effects on gut microbiome and weight management. These studies were typically short term (acute to three months) and heterogeneous by design, and they contained stevia rebaudiosides as lone sweeteners and as part of a binary blend with other NNSs. The majority of metabolic studies on stevia rebaudiosides have evaluated the effects on glucose homeostasis and, to a lesser extent, the effects on cardiometabolic function, the gut microbiome, and weight management. These studies suggest that stevia rebaudiosides have no statistically significant effects on glycemia, insulinemia, blood lipids, appetite hormones, or the gut microbiome. Limited studies suggest that, particularly when compared to sucrose, stevia produces very modest body weight and BMI changes, while studies on subjective appetite and food intake have had inconsistent results. Conclusions: Longer-term studies are needed, with more consistent and rigorous design protocols across various populations. However, current human clinical studies suggest that stevia rebaudiosides have a limited impact on metabolic functions, and the observed effects on gut microbiome and changes in body weight, particularly when used to replace sugar, warrant further study. Full article

Regular consumption of excess sugar is linked to nutrition-based diseases, including gut problems, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Increasing sweetness perception is a novel technique to decrease sugar consumption. This experiment compared the sweetness perception of sweetened and unsweetened almond milk in response to different virtual environments with music and visuals. Two music types, the classical song Goldberg Variations, BMV. 998-Variation 13 and a jazz song generated by AI were used. Additionally, fall and spring forest backgrounds were generated by the Blockade Labs 3D image generator. Each participant tasted sweetened and unsweetened almond milk in music-only, background-only, and combination music and background environments. Results revealed significant differences in sweetness ratings for music type (p = 0.015) and between milk types (p < 0.001). Viscosity rating differed significantly between backgrounds (p = 0.04) and by milk type (p < 0.001). Liking ratings varied significantly between backgrounds (p < 0.001) and between music genres (p = 0.011). The results suggest that altering music and background may be a strategy to change sweetness and viscosity perception in unsweetened beverages. Full article

Cocoa-based foods are increasingly recognized as complex plant-derived matrices with potential relevance for metabolic health, driven by interactions among multiple bioactive components. Metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, are characterized by disturbances in glucose homeostasis, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction. This narrative review critically examines the antidiabetic potential of cocoa-based plant matrices, integrating evidence from nutritional biochemistry and metabolic physiology. We analyze the specific role of cocoa flavanols in redox-sensitive signaling pathways related to nitric oxide bioavailability and insulin signaling. Furthermore, we evaluate how complementary matrix components, such as non-glycemic sweeteners, prebiotic and viscous fibers, oleic-rich lipids, and micronutrients, modulate postprandial glycemic responses, gut microbiota activity, and overall metabolic regulation. Current evidence indicates that the metabolic effects of cocoa cannot be attributed to isolated compounds but emerge from coordinated interactions within the food matrix. Understanding these multi-component dynamics is essential for the rational design of cocoa-based functional foods aimed at improving glycemic control and supporting metabolic resilience. Full article

Background/Objective: Rapid, validated dietary screening tools are lacking for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), where routine clinical check-ups do not allow sufficient time for extensive dietary assessments typically required to evaluate adherence to dietary recommendations. We developed a 15-item dietary screener (SCI NutriTool) and evaluated its accuracy in classifying non-adherence to a healthy food pyramid compared with a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Methods: The SCI NutriTool was developed through literature review and expert consensus. In a validation study, 51 adults with SCI (mean age 57.0 years; 76.5% men; 68.8% traumatic injury) completed the SCI NutriTool twice and a validated 97-item FFQ, which served as the reference method. Results: The SCI NutriTool demonstrated substantial variability in performance across food groups, reflecting its domain-specific screening properties. Sensitivity was high for fruits and vegetables (91.7%), protein-rich foods (90.5%), and sweetened/alcoholic beverages and snacks (82.4%), with relatively high positive predictive values (PPV: 73.7–90.5%), supporting the tool’s ability to identify individuals who are likely non-adherent and may benefit from further nutritional assessment or counselling. In contrast, for starchy foods and nuts, oils, and fatty spreads/sauces, sensitivity was low (20.0% and 50.0%), while specificity was modest. This indicates that the tool performs better in correctly identifying adherent individuals in these domains, which is reflected in higher negative predictive values (NPV: up to 94.1%). However, the low sensitivity suggests that individuals with non-adherence may be missed, limiting the tool’s usefulness as an early screening trigger for these food groups. Conclusions: The SCI NutriTool’s performance varies across food groups, demonstrating a stronger ability to identify non-adherence in protein-rich foods, fruit and vegetables, sweetened and alcoholic beverages, and snacks, but limited discriminatory capacity for others. In particular, it is not suitable for screening non-adherence to starchy foods and fats. Accordingly, it is best used as a triage tool to guide further dietary assessment and targeted nutritional interventions rather than as a standalone diagnostic instrument. Full article

Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) are consumed to reduce intake by providing a sweet taste with little to no energy. Despite regulatory approval and extensive use, uncertainty remains about their long-term role in weight management and health, and about whether exposure to sweet taste itself, independent of energy, influences these outcomes. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from three recent European consortia: SWEET, SWITCH and Sweet Tooth, which together provide complementary data from acute, short- and long-term randomized controlled trials. The studies examined the effects of NNSs and dietary sweet taste exposure on body weight, health-related biomarkers, sweet taste preference, and eating behavior. Across studies, replacing sugars with NNSs appeared to support weight loss maintenance, while NNS consumption and dietary sweet taste exposure showed no adverse changes in body weight, glucoregulatory and endocrine biomarkers, cardiometabolic risk factors, gut microbiota, or liver enzymes. Likewise, neither NNS use nor different dietary sweet taste exposure altered sweet taste liking, appetite sensation, energy intake, or food choice. However, interpretation should consider the characteristics of the included studies, including selected populations, intervention context, outcome heterogeneity, and the fact that several behavioral and biomarker outcomes were secondary or exploratory. Overall, the reviewed evidence suggests that replacing sugar intake with NNSs may support weight management strategies, while differences in habitual dietary sweet taste exposure per se appear largely neutral with respect to health-related biomarkers and sweet taste preferences. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with reduced risk of non-communicable diseases but has declined among children, even in traditionally high-adherence settings such as Greece. As parental lifestyle behaviors strongly influence children’s dietary patterns, this study examined the associations between parental lifestyle factors and children’s MD adherence in Crete, Greece. Methods: A total of 760 parent–child dyads participated in this cross-sectional study. Children’s adherence to the MD was assessed using the KIDMED index. Parents completed validated instruments, including the MEDAS (MD adherence), IPAQ (physical activity), PSQI (sleep quality), and NLS (nutrition literacy), along with questions on dietary habits and screen time behaviors. ANOVA/Kruskal–Wallis tests and multivariable linear regression identified predictors of KIDMED scores. Results: Mean KIDMED score was 5.95 ± 2.65; 32% achieved optimal adherence. Younger children showed higher adherence. Higher children’s adherence to MD was positively associated with parental MD adherence (β = 0.493), urban residence (β = 0.544), higher parental education (β = 0.493), consistent daily meal routines (breakfast and mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks), higher water intake, and fresh juice consumption (all p < 0.05) were positively associated with parental MD adherence. Conversely, lower adherence was associated with parental age ≥ 45 years (β = 0.987), higher parental BMI (β = 0.072), consumption of sugar-sweetened (β = 0.390) or artificially sweetened beverages (β = 0.497), and weekend screen time ≥ 3 h/day (β = 0.383) (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Children’s adherence to the MD is strongly associated with parental dietary behaviors and structured meal routines. These findings support family-focused interventions that emphasize parental dietary role modeling to counter declining MD adherence among Mediterranean youth. Full article

Sucralose is one of the most widely used non-nutritive sweeteners and has long been considered metabolically inert and safe within established acceptable daily intake levels. However, emerging evidence suggests that chronic exposure to sucralose may alter gut microbial composition, epithelial barrier function, mucosal inflammation, and immune responses. This review examines current experimental and clinical evidence on the effects of sucralose on the gut–immune axis, with particular attention to its potential implications for colitis and colorectal cancer (CRC). Preclinical studies indicate that sucralose may reduce beneficial short-chain fatty acid-producing taxa, alter microbial metabolic pathways, disrupt epithelial barrier-related molecules, and promote inflammatory and immune changes associated with colitis severity and inflammation-driven tumorigenesis. Experimental evidence also suggests that sucralose may impair CD8⁺ T-cell fitness and reduce responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors through microbiome-dependent mechanisms involving altered arginine and citrulline metabolism. Human studies further indicate that sucralose can modify gut and oral microbiome composition and influence metabolic responses, although these effects appear heterogeneous and context-dependent. Overall, the current literature suggests that sucralose may act as a modifier of microbiome–immune interactions in susceptible settings, but most mechanistic evidence remains preclinical, and human data are still insufficient to establish causality. These findings highlight the need for prospective studies to determine whether sucralose-associated microbial and immune alterations translate into clinically meaningful effects in colitis, CRC, and immunotherapy response. Full article