Commonly used sweetener has ‘unexpected effect on immune system’, say scientists

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener, about 600 times sweeter than sugar, that is commonly used in drinks and food, but the effects it has on the body are not yet fully understood.

Sucralose is commonly used in drinks and food but the effects on the body are not yet fully understood (Anthony Devlin/PA)

An artificial sweetener commonly used in hot drinks and found in diet soft drinks could suppress the immune response to disease in mice, new research suggests.

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute found that consuming a high amount of sucralose lowers activation of T cells – a type of white blood cell – in the animals.