Though diet sodas contain no sugar and provide few or no calories, these artificially sweetened beverages have long been suspected of somehow contributing to the cause of diabetes. A study appearing in the March 23, 2011, "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" appears to vindicate diet soda, but the specific effects of diet soda on the incidence of diabetes remain somewhat unclear.
Study Findings
The study followed more than 40,000 men for 20 years. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and artificially sweetened beverages was monitored. At the conclusion of the study, researchers determined that there was a significant link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the development of type-2 diabetes. If other factors like body mass index, family history and diet were accounted for, the researchers saw no such link between artificially sweetened drinks and diabetes.
Study Limitations
As noted, the study involved only men. That means that the results may not necessarily apply to women. The study relied on questionnaires that were completed by participants; actual dietary habits were not monitored or controlled. Many people choose to drink diet soda because they are overweight. Being overweight is a known risk factor for diabetes. This study fails to explore the possibility that diet soda consumption may actually contribute to weight gain. The finding that artificially sweetened beverages do not raise the risk of diabetes to the extent found with sugar-sweetened beverages does not address the possibility that other beverage choices might further reduce the risk.
Conflicting Evidence
Researchers have established a link between diet soda and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes, develops at a greater frequency in those who drink one or more servings of soda per day. According to a study, published in 2007 in the journal "Circulation," the risk is equal for both diet and regular soda. A study reported in the September 2006 "Annals of Epidemiology," found that diabetics who consumed one or more diet sodas daily were found to have poor control of blood sugar compared to those who did not drink diet soda. Researchers at Purdue University found that rats experienced more weight gain when fed food that was artificially sweetened than those fed sugar-sweetened food.
Perspective
Based largely on animal research, Purdue University scientists have speculated that artificial sweeteners in diet soda may signal the brain that a load of calories will soon follow. When the body does not receive the expected calories, it may seek to compensate by consuming excess calories from other sources. Though there is a lack of evidence directly linking it to increased diabetes risk, diet soda still finds itself under scrutiny because of its association with other known risk factors such as weight gain.
References
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men; L. Koning, V. Malik, E. Rimm, et al; March 23, 2011
- "Circulation:" Soft Drink Consumption and Risk of Developing Metabolic Syndrome
- "Annals of Epidemiology;" Beverage Intake, Diabetes, and Glucose Control of Adults in America; T. Mackenzie, B. Brooks and G. O'Connor; September, 2006
- Purdue University: Artificial Sweeteners Linked to Weight Gain
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