# Diet Drinks May Worsen Glucose Control Making Type 2 Diabetes More Likely



## David Baxter PhD (Jan 12, 2018)

*Diet Drinks May Worsen Glucose Control, Making Type 2 Diabetes More Likely*
_Bipolar Network News_
January 12, 2018

Many  people substitute diet drinks containing artificial sweeteners for  sugary drinks in the hopes of reducing their diabetes risk. However, new  research suggests that *artificial sweeteners alter the gut?s response to glucose in a way that could actually worsen diabetes risk.*

 At the 2017 meeting of the European Association for the Study of  Diabetes, researcher Richard Young described a small study in which he  and his colleagues compared the effects of artificial sweeteners to  those of placebo in healthy adults. Seventeen participants consumed an  amount of artificial sweetener equivalent to what would be found in 1.2  to 1.5 liters of diet beverage per day for two weeks, while 16  participants received placebo.

 Young and colleagues determined that glucose absorption and glycemic  response increased in the participants who consumed the artificial  sweetener. Those who consumed the sweetener absorbed 20% more glucose  than those in the placebo group. While before the study the two groups  had similar blood glucose levels, these rose by 24% in those who  consumed the artificial sweetener.

 Consuming artificial sweetener also seemed to affect the gut peptide  GLP-1, which limits the rise in blood glucose after meals. The two  groups had similar GLP-1 responses before the study, but after consuming  artificial sweetener, participants showed a 34% reduction in GLP-1  response to glucose absorbed in the intestines.

 Changes like these could increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Young  explained that artificial sweeteners may reduce the body?s ability to  control blood sugar levels, leading to high glucose, and possibly  predisposing those who consume artificial sweeteners to type 2 diabetes.  Young and colleagues have previously found that switching from sugar to  artificial sweeteners does not predict a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

 This study was the first of its kind in humans. Larger studies will  help to clarify the effects of artificial sweeteners on glucose control.


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