Causal Effects of Artificially Sweetened Foods on Chronic Pain Mediated by Gut Microbiota: A Mendelian Randomization...

Emerging evidence suggests that both artificially sweetened foods and gut microbiota may contribute to the development and modulation of physical pain. Despite these findings, the potential mediating role of gut microbiota in the causal pathway linking artificial sweetener consumption to chronic pain remains incompletely understood. We utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine the causal relationships between artificially sweetened foods, gut microbiota, and chronic pain. The data included 211 gut microbial taxa, consumption levels of nine artificially sweetened foods, and seven types of chronic pain. The primary statistical method used was inverse variance weighting (IVW). We explored whether gut microbiota mediate the relationship between artificially sweetened foods and chronic pain. We found that genetic predisposition to consuming artificially sweetened foods is associated with an increased risk of chronic pain through different types of gut microbiota. Two-step MR suggests the mediating effects of four gut microbiota on three chronic pain: head and neck pain, joint pain, and sciatica. These findings could inform interventions and treatments for chronic pain. Artificially sweetened foods and chronic pain have causal relationships, with gut microbiota mediating the pathway from artificially sweetened food to chronic pain.