Revisions Log

A log of revisions to articles and news stories.

Jul 22 2026 - This article has been updated following a readers feedback (below) to clarify that isosteviol is a stevia-derived diterpenoid, not a consumer sweetener. We also removed wording suggesting that isosteviol is widely used in food and beverage products, and refined the description of the laboratory findings to distinguish them from effects in people. (Comment) I am writing to request a scientific terminology correction in the article titled "Scientists show how sweeteners slow the growth of certain gut bacteria" published on July 16, 2026 The article text states: "[...] One sweetener in particular – isosteviol – when combined with the anti-depressant duloxetine significantly impaired two important gut bacteria linked to regulating blood sugar and gut health [...]" as well as "[...] Most striking was the combination of a sweetener called isosteviol, widely used in the food and beverage industry, and the antidepressant duloxetine." This is a factual error. While isosteviol is structurally derived from the acid hydrolysis of steviol glycosides (found in the stevia plant), isosteviol itself is completely tasteless and lacks any sweetening properties. The acid breakdown removes the sugar/glucose chains required to bind to human sweet taste receptors. While it is studied as a bioactive compound, food additive, or biomarker, it is not used as a sweetener. By mislabeling this tasteless derivative as a sweetener, the article falsely leads readers to associate consumer-facing stevia extracts, specifically sweet chemical component classes like steviol glycosides (e.g., rebaudiosides and stevioside), with the negative gut health effects discovered in the study. This mistake is particularly upsetting because the page proudly displays a "Reviewed" badge claiming the text underwent meticulous scrutiny for errors understrict review protocols - a quality check that clearly failed to happen here. Please update the wording to refer to it accurately as an "artificial stevia derivative" or "artificially stevia-derived compound" rather than a sweetener to maintain the high credibility of your platform. Thank you for your time and dedication to accurate scientific reporting. Sincerely, Markus

Study finds some sweeteners can slow the growth of gut bacteria

May 28 2026 - The news write up of this paper has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the authors and the Editors. Following publication, concerns were raised regarding the methodology in this article, which effect the reliability of the data. The authors and the Editors agree that the identified errors are too great to be corrected with a corrigendum.

High cholesterol may not signal heart disease risk in metabolically healthy people

Apr 20 2026 - In response to a user's comment, "Hello, I just wanted to leave a quick comment to let you know that the first photo you used isn't a kissing bug. The photo is of Leptoglossus gonagra, which is harmless to humans; it can't even bite. It is a type of leaf-footed bug, which can be identified by its large leaf-like femur," the main article image was replaced with an image of an Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose Kissing Bug (Triatoma sanguisuga).

Scientists map kissing bugs beyond the Americas to assess Chagas threat

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