Mickey Mouse in The Gallopin' Gaucho, c. 1928 Grandchildren of mice fed artificial sweeteners showed altered glucose tolerance and shifts in gut microbiome composition — even though those grandchildren never consumed the sweeteners themselves. The finding, reported by StudyFinds , suggests that zero-calorie sweeteners can leave a biological footprint that echoes across at least two generations. Researchers fed mice diets containing acesulfame potassium and saccharin — two of the most common artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, tabletop packets, and processed foods. The sweeteners triggered epigenetic changes, modifications to how genes are expressed rather than to the DNA sequence itself. Think of it as genes being dialed up or down without the underlying code being rewritten. Those epigenetic shifts didn't stay put. They traveled through the reproductive line, appearing in offspring and then in the next generation.…