Overview

• The 14-year longitudinal analysis involved 36,608 participants from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study assessing sweetened beverage intake and diabetes outcomes.
• Daily consumption of one artificially sweetened soft drink was linked to a 38% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes after adjusting for obesity measures.
• Sugar-sweetened drink intake was associated with a 23% increased diabetes risk that vanished after accounting for BMI and waist-to-hip ratio, indicating obesity as the driving factor.
• Researchers propose that artificial sweeteners may elevate diabetes risk through gut microbiome disruption or altered glucose metabolism.
• Investigators urge policy action to extend beverage taxes and revise dietary guidelines to address health risks from both diet and sugar-sweetened soft drinks.