Inhibition of the gut enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase may explain how aspartame promotes glucose intolerance and obesity in mice

What is it about?

Counter to popular expectations, diet soda consumption has not been associated with tangible weight loss. Aspartame, a non-nutritive sweetener, is commonly used as a substitute for sugar, as it has almost no calories. One of aspartame's breakdown products is phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is a known inhibitor of intestinal alkaline phosphatase, a gut enzyme shown to prevent metabolic syndrome in mice. We tested if aspartame consumption might contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome based on phenylalanine’s inhibition of endogenous intestinal alkaline phosphatase.

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