Dr. Eran Elinav leads the Institute for Microbiome Research and his groundbreaking studies on artificial sweeteners raise serious questions about their safety. Prof. Tim Spector, an expert in gut microbiome research, discusses individual variability in responses to these sweeteners. Together, they delve into how artificial sweeteners may disrupt gut bacteria and contribute to chronic diseases. They explore the complexities of sugar substitutes, urging listeners to reconsider these seemingly harmless ingredients and their long-term health implications.

Eran Elinav, MD, PhD, is a professor of immunology and principal investigator at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he co-directs the Personalized Nutrition Project. Dr. Elinav is also a principal investigator at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany. His research focuses on understanding the complex interactions between humans and the bacteria that reside in their gut and how these interactions shape human health and disease. In this episode, Dr. Elinav and I discuss... (00:00) Introduction to Dr. Eran Elinav (06:38) Circadian rhythm of the microbiome (17:17) Lessons from Hunter-gatherers (24:44) Nurturing the microbiome in children (35:16) Triglycerides and cholesterol (38:58) Saturated fat (40:25) Effect of artificial sweeteners on the microbiome (56:10) What causes recurrent obesity (58:17) Impact of caloric restriction (59:26) Intestinal permeability (gut leakiness) (01:19:54) Bacteriophage therapy and precision probiotics (01:34:44) Bacterial role in TMAO risk (01:40:33) Weight gain from smoking cessation (01:41:53) Tips for diet personalization Get the show notes Looking for more? Join over 300,000 people and get the latest distilled information on sleep, depression, and fasting straight to your inbox weekly: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter Try thirty days of our FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, a live Q+A with Rhonda and more: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/trial