The prestigious journal Scientific American of April 2015 has reported that artificial sweeteners added to soft drinks like diet coke and toothpastes change gut bacteria in the digestive system to lead to obesity. These chemicals like saccharin and suralose are used to enliven the soft drinks which science has pointed has vague links to our health. The researchers concluded from studies on mice that ingesting artificial sweeteners might lead to obesity and diabetes. Such sweeteners appear to change the population of intestinal bacteria that direct the conversion of food to energy.
In humans, as well as mice, the ability to digest and extract energy from our food is determined not only by our genes but also by the trillions of microbes in the intestines. The artificial sweeteners enhance the population of gut bacteria that are more efficient at extracting energy from our food and turn it into fat. This raises the blood sugar levels which can lead to a host of diseases including diabetes and a heightened risk of liver and heart disease. As such the practice of drinking soft drinks laced with artificial sweeteners may pose a serious health risk to people addicted to consume large quantities of soft drinks popularised by attractive advertisements.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore