Are Artificial Sweeteners Actually Making You Fat and Sick?

Are artificial sweeteners actually making you fat and sick?

Artificial sweeteners are promoted as a low caloric alternative to sugar, touted as especially useful for those wanting to lose a few kilograms or manage their diabetes. However, unbeknownst to many, they could in fact be making you sick! New findings suggest that by switching to artificial sweeteners you could actually be increasing your chance of metabolic disease and overall glucose intolerance.

Dr Elinav and his researchers now have evidence from their experimental trials on both mice and humans that switching to artificial sugars may not be the best option out there for maintaining obesity and diabetes. An increase in artificial sugars altered the gut microbes within the intestines of both species causing an imbalance of ratio of the microbes in the gut. Altered gut microbes is extremely detrimental to the body and can hasten the onset of intolerance to glucose (inability to properly process sugars), metabolic diseases and adult onset diabetes.

What this new study actually suggests is that the prolific use of artificial sweeteners within food and drink may actually be contributing to the world’s obesity and diabetes epidemic, rather than solving it. To add to that, the recent widespread use of artificial sweeteners in soft drinks and foods are contributing to this epidemic especially since school children are the ones who are constantly consuming these foods. So next time you select a beverage, it may be beneficial to read the ingredients that it contains before consumption to ensure that you are not unknowingly harming your body.