Artificial sweeteners may be messing with your blood sugar. Zero-calorie alternatives to sugar have become the mainstay of those looking to lose weight while maintaining sweetness. But a new study in mice has found that “artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, causing metabolic changes that can be a precursor to diabetes.” The researchers looked at blood sugar measurements and the microbes in the intestinal tract of the mice to see if the sweetener versus regular sugar would affect either of them. “The group of mice getting artificial sweeteners developed marked intolerance to glucose,” with their blood glucose spiking early and falling slowly. “When the researchers treated the mice with antibiotics, killing much of the bacteria in the digestive system, the glucose intolerance went away.” In further experiments, the researchers found that bacteria from humans who regularly consume artificial sweeteners create the same glucose intolerance in the mice. It is unknown at this time how bacteria influence glucose tolerance.

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