Diet Soda Linked with Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

One of the constant companions of dieters is diet soda because they believe zero calories and zero sugar makes the drink a healthier option. But the truth isn't sweet when the drink comes with artificial sweeteners. 

A latest French study shows a strong correlation between artificially sweetened sodas and increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

After conducting a wide-scale long-term study, the researchers conclude that compared to the sodas sweetened with ordinary sugar, artificially sweetened soda poses a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

The research was led by Francoise Clavel-Chapelon and Guy Fagherazzi. The study included more than 66,000 French women who were asked to give details of their dietary habits and their health. They were monitored throughout the study for almost 14 years from 1993 to 2007. Most of the women were of middle age or older at the time when they enrolled for the study and were born between 1925 and 1950.

The researchers analyzed the data in order to check the occurrence of diabetes among women who drank either both types of soda and those who drank only unsweetened fruit juice.

"Contrary to conventional thinking, the risk of diabetes is higher with 'light' beverages compared with 'regular' sweetened drinks," the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) said.

They noticed that compared with juice drinkers, those women who drank both types of soda had a higher occurrence of diabetes.

Those who drank up to 359 ml of soda per week had an increased risk of about a third, while those who drank up to 630 ml had a risk of more than double.

Even if they consumed light soda, they were prone to become victims of diabetes. According to Inserm, those who consumed 500 ml soda per week had a 15 percent higher chance of having diabetes, and it was 59 percent higher for consumption of 1.5 liters (50 ounces) per week.

"Information on beverage consumption was not updated during the follow-up, and dietary habits may have changed over time," the paper said. "We cannot rule out that factors other than ASB (artificially sweetened beverages) are responsible for the association with diabetes."

According to the World Health Organization, 347 million people worldwide have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes starts at childhood and requires insulin treatment, and often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity.

The study was published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.