Sucralose Stimulates Insulin Secretion in Healthy Young Adults

by | Nov 19, 2019 | 2019, Sweeteners

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. A 48 mg sucralose sip increased serum insulin and unbalanced monocyte subpopulations expressing CD11c and CD206 in noninsulin-resistant healthy young adults who were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test.

woman standing by a wallOver the years, non caloric artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose, have been hailed for their ability to preserve the sweetness of food and beverages without increasing calories 1.  However, an increasing number of experimental studies indicate that this apparent benefit comes at the cost of potential adverse metabolic effects, including insulin resistance and glucose intolerance 2-4. A well-known clinical study in 2013 demonstrated that a single dose of sucralose at 48 mg resulted in a significant elevation of glucose and insulin levels in obese subjects 5. Similar results were observed in overweight individuals who exhibited a 1.2-fold increase in insulin levels following ingestion of sucralose 6. Such alterations in glucose and insulin homeostasis are accompanied by low-grade chronic inflammation 7, which involves increased circulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and changes in monocyte (white blood cell involved in expression of cell markers) subpopulations 8. In clinical cases of obesity and insulin resistance, the expression of classical monocyte subpopulations, CD11c and CD206, have been found to be imbalanced and are considered to be hallmarks of metabolic dysfunction 9. A recent 2019 study 10 published in the Journal of Immunology Research examined the effects of a single sucralose sip on serum levels of insulin and glucose, as well as on the expression of these two monocyte subpopulations in healthy young adults.

A total of 45 healthy adults (aged 18-35 years) with a homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) value of ≤ 3.8 were enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial in which they were assigned to drink either 48 mg sucralose dissolved in 60 mL water or 60 mL water (placebo) fifteen minutes prior to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). At Minute 0 and after every 15 minutes for 180 minutes, venous blood samples were drawn to quantify blood levels of glucose and insulin. Additional blood samples were drawn 15 minutes prior to OGTT and at the end of 180 minutes to examine white blood cell count and to determine lipid profile. Monocyte subpopulations were identified using flow cytometry and were categorized as classical monocytes, intermediate monocytes, or neoclassical monocytes.

Subjects receiving sucralose showed a general elevation in serum insulin, relative to controls, exhibiting a 1.3-fold (p = 0.041), 1.4-fold (p = 0.046), and 2-fold (p = 0.048) increase in insulin levels at 30 min, 45 min, and 180 min, respectively. Individuals in the sucralose group also demonstrated a significant 7% increase in classical monocytes (p = 0.0028) and a 63% decrease in neoclassical monocytes (p < 0.0001), as compared to placebo control. Researchers reported a significant positive correlation between serum insulin levels and classical monocyte percentages (r = 0.41, p = 0.02) and a negative correlation with neoclassical monocyte percentages (r = –0.42, p = 0.01). Finally, sucralose consumption was linked to reduced CD11c expression in intermediate, neoclassical, and classical monocytes (p = 0.0004, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0008, respectively), as well as reduced CD206 expression in neoclassical monocytes (p = 0.0098).

The present study reports evidence suggesting that an acute dose of sucralose, at 48 mg, is sufficient to elevate serum insulin levels in healthy young adults. Coincident with increased levels of insulin, researchers found sucralose-induced alterations in monocyte subpopulations, specifically relating to an imbalanced proportion of classical to neoclassical monocytes, as well as changes in the expression of CD11c and CD206 in monocyte subsets of subjects receiving sucralose. General findings confirm the link between sucralose and disturbance of insulin homeostasis and immune cell populations. Researchers note their limited number of subjects as a primary weakness of the study. Findings should be replicated using a larger subject pool and with further examination of the long-term effects of sucralose on metabolism.

Source: Gomez-Arius AY, Bueno-Hernandez N, Palomar LF, et al. A single 48 mg sucralose sip unbalances monocyte subpopulations and stimulates insulin secretion in healthy young adults. Journal of Immunology Research. 2019; 6105059. DOI:10.1155/2019/6105059.

© 2019 Angelica Y. Gómez-Arius et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted November 19, 2019.

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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