New Study: Artificial Sweeteners Could Be Responsible for Diabetes

In our age of processed foods, almost all of us are aware of the destructive consequences that can result from excessive consumption of sweetened industrial food - obesity, diabetes, unbalanced blood pressure, and various other diseases. Therefore, even if we are not part of the overweight population, most of us try to stay away from such foods and prefer alternatives like brown sugar, aspartame, and the like over regular ones, with the belief that this way we can maintain our health.

However, a new study recently conducted at the Weizmann Institute, published in the prestigious scientific journal 'NATURE', presents entirely opposite findings - an antithesis to this belief. It turns out that those diet foods containing chemical sugar substitutes are our number one enemy, not only causing obesity (which is dangerous in itself) but also increasing the likelihood of developing diabetes.  

"The widespread consumption of artificial sweeteners in drinks and foods may cause obesity and even lead to diabetes," says Dr. Eran Elinav from the Department of Immunology at the Weizmann Institute, who is leading the study alongside Professor Eran Segal from the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. Diabetes occurs when our body is filled with too much sugar that it cannot break down. This condition is called 'glucose intolerance' in professional jargon. Who is responsible for breaking down these sugars? The bacteria in our intestines. So why can't they break it down, you ask? Good question.

Here's the explanation: It was found that those intestinal bacteria have a rather sophisticated sensor system that identifies the substances it easily breaks down. However, with all its sophistication, when it fails to recognize a certain substance, it simply does not break it down. Artificial sweeteners are one of those substances, and this essentially creates the disruption in the food breakdown process present in every healthy person.

"We have observed that indeed exposure to artificial sweeteners leads to significant changes in the population of gut bacteria and their functions, including activities known to induce a tendency for obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome - both in animals and humans," explains Dr. Elinav.