Type 2 diabetes is a major health concern that affects around 1.3 million Australians and more than half a billion people worldwide. The chronic condition can be debilitating to manage, and the vast majority of cases are linked to diet and lifestyle.

While the link between sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes is well documented, scientists are now warning that risk for developing the disease from artificially sweetened soft drinks can be even higher.

In fact, researchers from Monash University, RMIT University and Cancer Council Victoria found that drinking just one can of artificially sweetened soft drink a day may increase the risk of developing the disease by 38 per cent.​​​

Led by Professor Barbora de Courten, Associate Professor Allison Hodge and PhD student Robel Hussen Kabthymer, the researchers followed more than 36,000 Australian adults aged between 40 and 69 years and monitored their diet and eating habits through self-reported Food Frequency Questionnaires over a 14 year period.

The study, published in ​​Diabetes & Metabolism, adds to the growing anxiety of the health effects of both sugary and artificially sweetened drinks.​​​

“Drinking one or more of these beverages each day – whether sweetened with sugar or artificial substitutes – was linked to a significantly higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes,” said Kabthymer.​​​

Senior author Professor de Courten added that the findings challenge the prevailing view that artificially sweetened drinks are a better choice.​​​

“Artificial sweeteners are often recommended to people at risk of diabetes as a healthier alternative, but our results suggest they may pose their own health risks,” Prof. de Courten said.

Even after the findings were adjusted for sex and weight, a strong connection between artificially sweetened drinks and type 2 diabetes still showed up, which suggests sweeteners possibly effect our metabolism.​​​ Additionally, the results raised important implications for public health policy.

“We support measures like sugary drink taxes, but our study shows we also need to pay attention to artificially sweetened options,” Prof. de Courten said.

“These are often marketed as better for you; yet may carry their own risks.

“Future policies should take a broader approach to reducing intake of all non-nutritive beverages.”

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.