(NewsNation) — Drinking a single can of an artificially sweetened soft drink per day over several years was associated with a 38% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who rarely drank sweetened beverages, according to a recent study in Australia.
Data from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study on more than 36,000 individuals between the ages of 40 to 69 were used in the study in which participants self-reported data on diabetes.
“Both sugar and artificially sweetened beverages were linked to an increased risk of T2DM (type 2 diabetes). The findings highlight the need for public health measures to control the intake of sweetened beverages,” the study concluded.
The findings are another potential blow for those trying to cut back on their sugar intake.
The World Health Organization’s cancer agency in 2023 deemed the sweetener aspartame — found in diet soda and countless other foods — as a “possible” cause of cancer, while a separate expert group looking at the same evidence said it still considers the sugar substitute safe in limited quantities.
The differing results of the coordinated reviews were released early Friday. One came from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a special branch of the WHO. The other report was from an expert panel selected by WHO and another U.N. group, the Food and Agriculture Organization.