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higher risk of diabetes associated with diet drinks rather than with regular sodas. Of the 66,118 women followed during this project, 1,369 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Our team modelled the risk of developing the disease depending on consumption of three types of drinks: regular sodas, artificially sweetened sodas and 100% pure fruit juice. We took into account other factors such as physical activity, body mass index and family history. Other studies had already shown an increased risk of diabetes associated with high consumption of soda in general. This time, we managed to distinguish between them. For example, at 1.5 litres per week (the equivalent of a large bottle), the risk of diabetes was 60% higher with diet drinks than with regular sugary drinks. These results are all the more striking considering that people then drank less sugar-free sodas than we do today. The average back then was about 328 ml of sugary drinks each week (about a can), and 568 ml of “diet” drinks. Significantly, there was no increase in the risk of diabetes with 100% pure fruit juices, which are naturally sweetened products. Artificial Sugar Makes You Feel Hungry Recently, our team used the E3N study to look at women’s consumption of sweeteners in sachet or tablet form. In our latest study we show that those who use them “always or almost always” had an 83% higher risk of developing diabetes than those who use them “never or rarely.” Participants who used them regularly for more than ten years had a 110% higher risk than those who never or rarely used them, suggesting a cumulative effect over time. The increase in risk persists when body mass index is taken into account, although it is slightly lower. It therefore appears that sweeteners have a direct effect on the risk of diabetes, even if being overweight is also a risk factor. From a physiological point of view, the mechanism behind these results is still far from clear. One hypothesis is that people who consume a lot of sweeteners have a greater appetite for sugar, coupled with a tendency to overeat in general. Sweeteners are thought to increase the feeling of hunger or to activate the T1R2/T1R3 receptors, which detect a wide variety of chemically and structurally diverse sweet-tasting molecules, along the digestive tract. If that’s the case, obviously sweeteners will not produce the desired effect, namely staying slim. Another hypothesis is that those who consume large amounts of sweeteners also produce less of the GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) hormone, which promotes pancreatic insulin secretion, and suffer more frequent deregulation of their glucose metabolism. Sweeteners can Alter Our Gut Microbiota Lastly, research on animals at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has shown that high consumption of certain sweeteners causes changes in the intestinal microbiota. We now know these microorganisms, which regulate digestive, metabolic, immune and neurological functions in the human body, to be important for health. Altering them is thought to lead to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, a trigger for type 2 diabetes. Whether people are trying to lose weight or avoid sugars, it’s time to convey a more accurate message about the benefits – or rather, the risks – of so-called “lite” foods.