Study finds Diet Soda linked to Type 2 Diabetes Risk

It’s easy to blame sugar-sweetened drinks for the increase of Type 2 diabetes cases in the United States. However, a new study suggests that sugar-free diet drinks can also raise the risk for the disease.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that diet soda linked to type 2 diabetes

For the study, French researchers investigated the beverage habits of more than 66,000 women over 14 years. The women recorded their consumption of natural juice, sugar-sweetened drinks, and artificially sweetened drinks.

After the study period, 1,369 of the participants were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that the women drank more diet drinks than sugar-sweetened drinks. They consumed 328 ml of sugary beverages and 568 ml of artificially sweetened beverages each week.

Although consumption of both types of beverages was linked to higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, researchers found that diet drinkers had an even higher risk than regular soda drinkers.

As for those who drank natural juice, the team found no increase in the risk for the disease.

Still, it should be noted that the researchers only found a link between diet drinks and Type 2 diabetes and not a cause and effect relationship. It is still unclear whether the beverage can actually cause the disease, or if people who are already predisposed to diabetes drink more diet beverages.

One possible reason for the association is that women who drank more artificially sweetened drinks also craved sugar more than those who consumed regular drinks.

Meanwhile, a previous study conducted by Harvard University researchers did not find an association between diet soda consumption and diabetes risk. Instead, they found that those who prefer diet drinks already have other risk factors associated with the disease like being overweight.

Whether diet drinks cause diabetes or not, maybe it’s a good idea to avoid the beverage for other health reasons. Past researches have linked the drink with weight gain and cardiovascular diseases.