Major study of diet drinks raises questions about their health impact

Swapping your regular soda for a diet version may not be any healthier for the liver, new research suggests.

A study of UK Biobank data found that both sugary drinks and artificially sweetened ones, even those labeled zero sugar, are linked to a higher risk of liver disease.

Th findings were presented this week at United European Gastroenterology Week in Berlin, Germany.

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The study followed more than 120,000 adults over 10 years. None of them had liver disease when the research began. 

Over time, scientists tracked what the participants drank and also assessed their liver health. 

People who drank a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) - like soda, sweet tea or energy drinks - had about a 50% higher risk of developing a serious liver condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also known as fatty liver disease not caused by alcohol.

"SSBs have long been under scrutiny, while their diet alternatives are often seen as the healthier choice," lead author Lihe Liu, a graduate student in the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, said in a press release.

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However, those who drank diet drinks - low- or non-sugar-sweetened beverages (or LNSSBs) - had an even higher risk of liver disease, at around 60%. 

That implies that switching from regular to diet soda didn't protect their livers - and might have made things even worse.

People who regularly drank artificially-sweetened drinks were also more likely to die from liver-related causes, the research suggested.

"Our study shows that LNSSBs were actually linked to a higher risk of MASLD, even at modest intake levels such as a single can per day," Liu said.

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"These findings challenge the common perception that these drinks are harmless and highlight the need to reconsider their role in diet and liver health," she added.

As to why zero-sugar might be harmful, scientists think it may have to do with how artificial sweeteners affect the body. 

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They have been shown to alter gut bacteria, increase cravings for sweets, and confuse the brain's hunger and fullness signals, for example.

Some research even suggests they may still trigger insulin spikes, something that is usually blamed on sugar.

Liu said the safest approach is to limit both sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened drinks.

Swapping sugary or diet soda for water was shown to reduce liver disease risk by as much as 15%, while substitution between the two types of beverages offered no risk reduction.

"Water remains the best choice, as it removes the metabolic burden and prevents fat accumulation in the liver, whilst hydrating the body," the researcher noted.

Liver disease is already one of the fastest-growing health problems worldwide, affecting approximately 4.5 million U.S. adults, according to CDC data.

As the full study had not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, potential limitations of the study were not available.

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Some experts, however, pointed out that the beverage consumption was self-reported and may have some inaccuracies. The observational study also identifies an association, but does not prove that the beverages caused liver issues.

Fox News Digital reached out to the American Beverage Association and to the study researchers requesting comment.