2025/08/19 Sweetened Beverages Linked to Elevated Type 2 Diabetes Risk

A new longitudinal study published in Diabetes & Metabolism reports that both sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The findings, based on data from 36,608 adults aged 40–69 years in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS) and followed for an average of 14 years, underscore the need for comprehensive public health strategies to reduce sweetened beverage consumption.
 
Participants were categorized according to SSB and ASB consumption frequency, ranging from “never or less than once per month” to “once or more per day.” High intake (≥1 serving/day) was associated with a 23% increased risk of T2DM for SSBs and a 38% increase for ASBs compared with the lowest intake group. Adjustment for body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio attenuated the SSB association but did not eliminate the ASB association, suggesting potential non-obesity-related pathways such as alterations in gut microbiota, impaired insulin signaling, and dysregulated appetite control.
 
Complementing these national findings, a global analysis published in Nature Medicine estimated that in 2020, SSB consumption contributed to 2.2 million new T2DM cases and 1.2 million cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases worldwide—representing 9.8% and 3.1% of all incident cases, respectively. The burden was highest in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa, with younger adults, men, those with higher educational attainment, and urban residents disproportionately affected. From 1990 to 2020, the largest relative increases in SSB-attributable T2DM and CVD incidence occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.
 
These converging lines of evidence highlight the growing global health burden of sweetened beverage consumption, regardless of caloric content. While obesity remains a major mediator for SSB-related risk, the persistent association for ASBs raises concerns over their safety as substitutes. Public health experts are calling for targeted interventions, including taxation, front-of-package labeling, marketing restrictions, and public education campaigns, to address both forms of sweetened beverages.
 
The Australian and global data together present a compelling case for decisive policy action. As with previous successes in salt reduction initiatives, sustained multi-sectoral collaboration, industry reformulation, and consumer awareness will be key to mitigating the rising tide of T2DM and related cardiometabolic diseases linked to sweetened beverage intake.
 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S126236362500059X?via%3Dihub
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03345-4