Put down the diet pop! Can diet soda raise blood sugar? Yes it can.

If you think that drinking diet soda is better for you than drinking regular soda, you’re wrong. Calorie-free drinks made with artificial sweeteners may increase metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes, a new study revealed.

Researchers reported that artificial sweeteners increased blood sugar levels by interfering with microbes in the gut.

People choose calorie-free artificial sweeteners and drinks because they think they won’t raise blood sugar levels like regular sugar. But studies suggest that artificial sweeteners actually increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.

The study was conducted by Eran Segal of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.

“Our findings suggest that non-caloric artificial sweeteners may have directly contributed to enhancing the exact epidemic that they themselves were intended to fight.”

I remember once reading that your body reacts to the artificial sweeteners the same way as regular sugar. But this link to gut bacteria is interesting and how the sweeteners alter bacterial populations in the gut – the microbiota.

This study from 2011 had similar results, suggesting that artificial sweeteners trigger the appetite and boosted blood-sugar levels.

Stick to drinks with natural sweeteners – better yet – just plain water!