Abstract: Artificial sweeteners (AS) are a class of food additives made by human beings. Because of their high sweetness, non-calorie and non-nutritional value, they are widely used in food and beverage processing. However, recent studies have shown that excessive intake of AS can cause changes in the structure and compositions of the gut microbiota, thereby leading to glucose intolerance and metabolic disorders and even giving rise to obesity and other health problems. These results suggest that attention should be paid to AS intake and ingestion time during their application, which will provide a theoretical basis for further development and rational application of AS.

Key words: artificial sweeteners, gut microbiota, glucose tolerance, metabolic syndrome