POTENTIAL EFFECT OF HIGH CONSUMPTION OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS ON GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS AND COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT IN MALE ALBINO RATS

Background: Artificial sweeteners are well-known today because of their high sweetness property with low or no caloric intake. However, consuming artificial sweeteners interferes with normal physiological processes within our bodies. Objectives: The study investigates biochemical changes in blood glucose homeostasis and hematocrit parameters during and after terminating intakes of aspartame and sucralose in male albino rats. Methods: the experimental design included 54 male albino rats in five groups, twelve rats for each group, except the control group contained six rats. 2 and 4 g/kg of sucralose and 0.8 and 1.6g/kg of aspartame were given orally every day for 12 weeks. Aspartame and sucralose were omitted for a further six weeks. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), (HbA1c), and CBC were measured. Results: HOMA-IR increased in rats supplemented by high doses of either sweetener and HbA1c significantly increased in rats fed on low and high concentrations of Sweetal® (6.43 and 6.85 mmol/mol, respectively). Conclusion: Although terminating artificial sweeteners intake decreases blood glucose gradually, artificial sweeteners intake is still a risky choice for long-term intake.