Now, a new study published in the journal Nature introduces a new idea: Diet sodas may alter our gut microbes in a way that increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes — at least in some of us.

In the paper, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel describe what happened when they fed zero-calorie sweeteners, including saccharin, aspartame and sucralose, to mice.

“To our surprise, [the mice] developed glucose intolerance,” Weizmann researcher Eran Elinav tells us.

Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota : Nature : Nature Publishing Group.

Diet Soda May Alter Our Gut Microbes And Raise The Risk Of Diabetes : The Salt : NPR.