Daily Diet Soda Consumption Leads to a Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Daily Diet Soda Drinkers at Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Daily consumers of diet soda are over 3.5% more likely to have type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never drink diet soda. The risk factor for type 2 diabetes was 67% greater for daily consumers over nonconsumers of the same demographic in the study Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. In addition, the risk of metabolic syndrome was 36% greater for people consuming more than 1 serving of diet soda a day. The link between diet soda and risk for type 2 diabetes was stronger than the link between diet soda and metabolic syndrome. 

Diet soda was associated with a high fasting glucose and high waist circumference. However, the association could also be due to weight gain and general overconsumption. In addition, those drinking diet soda may be biased to be heavier because of an effort to actually lose weight, hence, consumption of the diet version. Overall, the study suggests that its findings represent a connection between diet soda consumption and type 2 diabetes, with weight gain, impaired glucose control, and poor dietary behaviors as other possible effects.