Experts say sugary drinks may be more problematic than sugary foods
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The findings from a new study have found that how you consume sugar can impact your risk of type 2 diabetes.
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The researchers learned that sugary drinks pose a greater diabetes risk than sugary foods.
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Experts hope that these findings inspire future guidelines on sugar consumption.
A new study conducted by researchers from Brigham Young University explored the health risks associated with sugar consumption.
Their work found that drinking sugar, as opposed to consuming sugar in other sources, was linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
This is the first study to draw clear dose-response relationships between different sugar sources and type 2 diabetes risk, researcher Karen Della Corte said in a news release.
It highlights why drinking your sugar whether from soda or juice is more problematic for health than eating it.
The study
To understand how different types of sugar impact diabetes risk, researchers reviewed nearly 30 long-term studies from around the world that tracked peoples diets and health over time.
They looked specifically at how much sugar people ate or drank including things like soda, fruit juice, and table sugar. They then analyzed how that related to their chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
The team used advanced statistical models to see if more sugar meant more risk, and they rated the strength and reliability of the evidence using well-established scientific tools.
The results
The study found that drinking more sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks was strongly linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In fact, just one 12-ounce serving a day raised the risk by 25%, and that risk started climbing with the very first drink. The researchers ultimately determined that there was no safe lower limit.
Fruit juice had a smaller impact, but still significant: one 8-ounce glass of juice a day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 5%.
Its important to note that these are relative risks, not absolute ones. So if someones average chance of developing type 2 diabetes is around 10%, drinking four sodas a day could double that risk to 20% not push it all the way to 100%.
Interestingly, the study also found that small daily amounts of sugar eaten in food like table sugar or naturally occurring sugars in whole foods were actually linked with a slightly lower risk of diabetes.
This study underscores the need for even more stringent recommendations for liquid sugars such as those in sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, as they appear to harmfully associate with metabolic health," Della Corte said. "Rather than condemning all added sugars, future dietary guidelines might consider the differential effects of sugar based on its source and form."
Posted: 2025-06-12 17:44:57
