There may be an association between artificially sweetened beverages and diabetes health

More than 100,000 new annual cases of diabetes could be avoided in Brazil if consumption of soft drinks and diet, light or juice-free juices were eliminated. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), the University of Val do Rio Doce (Univale) and the University of Western Santa Catarina (Unoesc), in a published article. On July 6 in the newspaper Public Health.

The study analyzed the relationship between the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and the prevalence of diabetes in Brazilians based on data from more than 757,000 adults from 2006 to 2020 from the System for Monitoring Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel) from the Ministry of Health. The analysis compared data from people who consumed regular, diet, light, and soda-free sodas and those who did not consume any of these products.

According to the survey, the annual growth rate of the disease was four times higher among consumers of artificially sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks and industrial juices, while those who did not consume these products achieved stable growth. It is estimated that 120,000 (40%) of the 300,000 new diabetes cases registered annually are related to those who consume these beverages.

These results highlight the need for effective preventive measures to deal with the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Brazil. Reducing or eliminating the consumption of artificially sweetened soft drinks or juices can be an important strategy for reducing the risk of diabetes and promoting a healthy population,” says Luana Marmet, co-author of the study.

There are still some contradictions in the evidence about the relationship between the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and the development of diabetes, according to the researcher. However, the results of the study are in line with recent international studies and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), which suggest avoiding the consumption of industrial beverages.

According to the researcher, measures such as taxing industrial drinks could contribute to reducing their consumption. Many countries, such as Mexico, Chile, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have been able to reduce the purchase, sale, and consumption of these beverages after increasing taxes on them. In Brazil, there has been little progress in this regard, although several bills have been proposed to tax soft drinks since 2016. If approved, the tax reform currently underway could bring about changes in this regard.”

As next steps, Marmet mentions the importance of better understanding the relationship between the increase in the number of people with diabetes and the frequent consumption of artificially sweetened beverages. “Because every study is subject to misinterpretation, and there are more robust study designs for evaluating cause-and-effect associations, the next steps would be to develop longitudinal studies that can confirm the relationships found in this study and help develop strategies for prevention and control of the disease,” the researcher concludes.