Researchers actually went much further than you assume and used microbe transplants to show that the gut microbiome from the sugar-fed mice rescued the artificial-sweetener-fed mice. And that similar transplants in the other direction resulted in the bad outcomes in the sugar-fed mice.
I don't think your speculation and armchair research is any more more helpful than the bad science journalism you complain about. If you don't know what you're talking about, maybe you could try keeping it to yourself.
> I don't think your speculation and armchair research is any more more helpful than the bad science journalism you complain about.
Anonymous people on the Internet can't be held to the same standards as a research paper. On the contrary, since this is largely a public opinion forum I believe that commenting without evidence is encouraged and it's up to the reader to make a determination about said opinion.
What a silly idea that we aren't allowed to publicize opinion.
I don't think your speculation and armchair research is any more more helpful than the bad science journalism you complain about. If you don't know what you're talking about, maybe you could try keeping it to yourself.