A human volunteer study to assess the impact of confectionery sweeteners on the gut microbiota composition

Br J Nutr. 2010 Sep;104(5):701-8. doi: 10.1017/S0007114510001078. Epub 2010 Apr 7.

Abstract

Sweeteners are being sourced to lower the energetic value of confectionery including chocolates. Some, especially non-digestible carbohydrates, may possess other benefits for human health upon their fermentation by the colonic microbiota. The present study assessed non-digestible carbohydrate sweeteners, selected for use in low-energy chocolates, for their ability to beneficially modulate faecal bacterial profiles in human volunteers. Forty volunteers consumed a test chocolate (low-energy or experimental chocolate) containing 22.8 g of maltitol (MTL), MTL and polydextrose (PDX), or MTL and resistant starch for fourteen consecutive days. The dose of the test chocolates was doubled every 2 weeks over a 6-week period. Numbers of faecal bifidobacteria significantly increased with all the three test treatments. Chocolate containing the PDX blend also significantly increased faecal lactobacilli (P = 0.00 001) after the 6 weeks. The PDX blend also showed significant increases in faecal propionate and butyrate (P = 0.002 and 0.006, respectively). All the test chocolates were well tolerated with no significant change in bowel habit or intestinal symptoms even at a daily dose of 45.6 g of non-digestible carbohydrate sweetener. This is of importance not only for giving manufacturers a sugar replacement that can reduce energetic content, but also for providing a well-tolerated means of delivering high levels of non-digestible carbohydrates into the colon, bringing about improvements in the biomarkers of gut health.

Publication types

  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bifidobacterium / growth & development*
  • Butyrates / metabolism*
  • Cacao
  • Candy
  • Colon / drug effects
  • Colon / metabolism
  • Colon / microbiology*
  • Dietary Carbohydrates / pharmacology*
  • Feces / chemistry
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Functional Food
  • Glucans / pharmacology
  • Human Experimentation
  • Humans
  • Lactobacillus / growth & development*
  • Male
  • Maltose / analogs & derivatives
  • Maltose / pharmacology
  • Propionates / metabolism*
  • Starch / pharmacology
  • Sugar Alcohols / pharmacology
  • Sweetening Agents / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Butyrates
  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Glucans
  • Propionates
  • Sugar Alcohols
  • Sweetening Agents
  • Maltose
  • Starch
  • maltitol
  • polydextrose