Huberman on aspartame and artificial sugars, gut health?

Huberman’s position is that evidence linking artificial sweeteners to gut harm is limited and depends on the sweetener:

• Saccharin is the main concern: Studies—especially animal research—suggest it can shift the gut microbiome in an unfavorable direction. He cautions that this does not mean it simply “kills” the microbiome, and that evidence for comparable effects from aspartame or other sweeteners is limited. 1 2
• Aspartame specifically: Huberman said he had not found gut-microbiome data specifically about aspartame in the gut-health episode. In another discussion, he said he consumes aspartame occasionally and is not opposed to low-calorie sweeteners. 3 4
• Uncertainty matters: The microbiome concern was largely based on animal studies, and Huberman said there was not a strong case for or against artificial sweeteners overall. A separate finding suggests gut cells distinguish sugar from non-caloric sweeteners and send different signals to the brain, but the human implications were still uncertain. 2 5
• Practical framing: He doesn’t demonize them; occasional use is different from high intake, and whether to use them is an individual choice. 6