Artificially-sweetened soft drinks linked to greater risk of type-2 diabetes

New research has made “surprising” findings about soft drinks and what kinds are actually worse for our health.

Drinking one artificially-sweetened soft drink a day increases your type II diabetes risk by almost 40 per cent — higher than sugary drinks — Australian research suggests.

The shocking Monash University-led study has cast doubt on the promotion of low-calories soft drinks as a healthier ‘version’ of sugary beverages and is expected to reignite debate over a sugar tax.

RMIT and Monash University Professor Barbora de Courtensaid she was “surprised” by the results, which showed regularly drinking artificially sweetened drinks increased participants’ diabetes risk even if they were at a healthy weight.

“I know that a lot of clinicians promote artificial sweeteners for patients,” she said.

“But our results suggest they may pose their own health risks.”

This did not mean sugar was healthy, and first author Monash PhD student Robel Hussen Kabthymer said they found both sugary and artificially-sweetened drinks were “linked to a significantly higher chance of developing type II diabetes”.

The team found adults who consumed seven or more sugary soft drinks a week had a 23 per cent higher chance of developing type II diabetes.

But this risk jumped to 38 per cent in adults who drank the same number of artificially-sweetened soft drinks, even after the results were adjusted for participant’s waistline.

Unlike artificially-sweetened drinks, researchers found no increased risk among people who regularly drank sugary beverages once the results were adjusted for their measurements.

Professor de Courten said this meant the artificial sweeteners’ results were “independent of weight gain”, suggesting other mechanisms — potentially their impact on our gut bacteria — may be involved.

Filling soft drink into a glass. Picture: Getty

The team, which included RMIT and Cancer Council Victoria researchers, analysed data from more than 36,000 Australian adults over almost 14 years.

The study was published in the Diabetes & Metabolism journal.

It comes amid ongoing debate about a “sugar tax”, with multiple health bodies and experts — including Prof de Courten — backing the push for a levy on sugary drinks.

Prof de Courten said while further research into the issue was needed, she would support expanding any potential sugar tax to include artificial sweetened drinks and products.

“I think that would be a wise idea, at least to start entertaining that this could be important as well,” she said.

No kind of soft drink is good for you. Picture: Atlasstudio via Canva

Prof de Courten said the study didn’t track which specific artificial sweeteners participants had consumed but she suspected several common sweeteners were to blame for the results.

“There might be certain ones which are less dangerous than others,” she said.

“We need more evidence is the bottom line.

“But having said that, there should be caution.

“We shouldn’t be promoting them for our population, including patients with diabetes.”

Diabetes Australia research director Professor Grant Brinkworth said unsweetened beverages “remain the healthiest choice”.

“We welcome studies that contribute to a deeper understanding of how these additives may influence metabolic health, particularly for people living with or at risk of diabetes,” he said.

Originally published as Artificially-sweetened soft drinks linked to greater risk of type-2 diabetes