In the 1960s, diet beverages were introduced so that people could enjoy a fizzy drink and not have to worry about their blood sugar spiking. For years, we didn’t know exactly what was happening inside the body, but we knew it wasn’t good. When you drink a diet pop or other drinks with artificial sweeteners, you are essentially tricking your body into thinking sugar is coming, so it gets ready to secrete insulin. By repeatedly doing this, your cells are becoming less sensitive to insulin, making you insulin resistant. In addition to this, there is now conclusive evidence showing that your microbiome changes, where bad bacteria can flourish in the absence of sugar. You're consuming fake sugar, but it still has an effect on the gut bacteria, providing fuel to the bad guys, just like sugar does. Listen to today’s episode where Dr. Martin presents compelling arguments as to why you need to eliminate artificial sweeteners from your diet. Dr. Martin also answers some questions he missed on Question and Answer Friday.