A preliminary study Israeli researchers published in the journal Nature indicated that artificial sweeteners may lead to diabetes. The study, which was done using mice, included some human experiments, but experts said more study is needed to reach a conclusion. Industry groups thought the research was limited, especially considering the past studies about sweeteners being safe and useful for weight loss.
The research suggested that sweeteners may change the composition of beneficial bacteria in the gut, affecting how the body handles the consumption of sugar, and thus potentially increasing the risk of diabetes. Researchers tested out three sweeteners; saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame on 20 mice. The mice were given a dose of sugar 11 weeks later and had their blood sugar levels examined. Another preliminary test had seven healthy volunteers use saccharin for a week. The results suggested that some people may be affected by artificial sweeteners, but there’s no certainty that artificial sweeteners are harmful to consumers.
