Most people have heard that drinking a lot of soda may increase your risk for diabetes, but new evidence indicates that even naturally sweet drinks and diet soda may do the same.
Is diet soda healthier?
Past research has provided mixed results in terms of showing a link between diabetes risk and naturally sweet drinks and diet soda. So, a team of researchers from China and the United States decided to look at data from a significantly sized pool. The scientists used data from 192,352 men and women who had been enrolled in various long-term studies that included questionnaires about how often they consumed these types of beverages. They found that:
- Men and women who increased their naturally sweetened fruit drink and sugar-sweetened soft drink intake by more than 4 oz. each day over 4 years had a 16% increased risk for diabetes over the next 4 years.
- Men and women who increased their intake of diet soda (and other artificially sweetened drinks) by more than 4 oz each day over 4 years had an 18% increased risk for diabetes over the next 4 years.
This link was still significant even after the scientists adjusted for things like lifestyle habits, BMI and dietary changes.
So, is this proof that diet soda increases your risk for diabetes? Not necessarily. Consider, for example, that people who are aware they’re in a high-risk category for developing diabetes may change from sugary sodas to diet sodas in hopes of lowering their risk.
In addition, people who know they’re at risk for developing diabetes might be more likely to get a screening for the disease, providing them with a diagnosis sooner than those at low risk.
Avoiding naturally sweetened drinks
The evidence still highlights the fact that naturally sweetened fruit drinks appear to increase the risk for diabetes. If you drink a lot of fruit juice, for example, you may want to consider switching to unsweetened drinks.
According to the study, replacing just one naturally sweetened fruit drink a day with water, unsweetened tea or coffee can lower your diabetes risk by 2 to 10%.
