Effects of high dose aspartame-based sweetener on the gut microbiota and bone strength in young and aged mice.

In a recent study examining the effects of manipulating the gut microbiome on bone, a control group of mice in which the microbiome was altered using a non-caloric, aspartame-based sweetener resulted in whole bone strength being 40% greater than expected from geometry alone, implicating enhanced bone tissue strength. However, the study was not designed to detect changes in bone in this control group and was limited to young male mice. Here we report a replication study examining how changes in the gut microbiome caused by aspartame-based sweetener influence bone.

Effects of long-term high dose aspartame on body mass, bone strength, femoral geometry, and microbiota composition in a young and aged cohort of male and female mice.

Background: Recent reassessment of the safety of aspartame has prompted increased evaluation of its effect on the health of a range of tissues. The gut microbiome is altered by oral aspartame. One prior study suggested that changes in the microbiome caused by aspartame could influence the strength of bone in young skeletally developing mice.