Sugared soda drinkers more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

A Finnish study reported in the Journal of Nutrition (2007;137(6):1447-1454) shows a link between sugared soft drink consumption and the development of type 2 diabetes.

Over 4,300 men and women aged 40 to 69 participated in the study, which began in 1966. None of the participants had diabetes at the beginning of the study. Information about their health was collected, including Body Mass Index, smoking status, and their level of exercise, and responded to a detailed questionnaire about their regular diet for the past year. Twelve years later, the researchers were able to identify those participants who developed diabetes through the Finnish national health service.

They found that when they compared the group who drank the most sugared soda per day with the group who drank the least, the relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes was increased by 66%! Since the scientists broke down their results by type of sugar consumed, they could see that fructose and glucose combined had the highest risk of type 2 diabetes. "High fructose corn syrup" is often the second largest ingredient, after water, in sugared sodas.

What this means for you

Sugared sodas like Coca-Cola® and Pepsi® contain about 100 calories per 8 ounces. (Remember that a can of soda is 12 ounces and bottles are 20 ounces!) For some of our patients, simply dropping their three-to-six cans per day sugared soda habit can mean the difference between being overweight and clinically normal weight. Switch to diet soda, or better yet: water.

First posted: May 23, 2007