A French study reveals how diet sodas can pose a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in women than regular sweetened sodas, reports Medical Xpress.
The study was conducted by monitoring more than 66,000 French women for over 14 years. The women participating in the study were young and older adults born between 1925 and 1950. The research team monitored their dietary habits and their health over the study period.
"Contrary to conventional thinking, the risk of diabetes is higher with 'light' beverages compared with 'regular' sweetened drinks," the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) said.
The study was led by Francoise Clavel-Chapelon and Guy Fagherazzi, who analyzed the data of the women who drank either sugar sweetened sodas or artificially sweetened counterparts. The occurrence of diabetes was monitored for these women. In addition women who drank only unsweetened fruit juice was also taken in to consideration.
As the analysis proceeded, the research team found that women who drank unsweetened fruit juice were at a lot lesser risk of developing diabetes than those who drank either types of sodas, reports Medical Xpress. The risk of diabetes was one third times greater in those who consumed 359 milliliters each week of either type of sodas. The risk increased further to almost double with the increase in the quantity up to 603 milliliters each week.
But when compared the risk of developing diabetes among the women who consumed light or regular soda, it was found that light sodas had significantly higher risk of diabetes than the regular sodas. For every 500 milliliters of light sodas consumed each week, the risk of diabetes increased by 15 percent and for every 1.5 liters each week increased the risk by almost 59 percent, Inserm explained, reports Medical Xpress.
Women who drank sugar-free fruit juice had no increased risk in diabetes, the report said. The authors conclude that further trials are needed to confirm a casual connection with the disease.
"Information on beverage consumption was not updated during the follow-up, and dietary habits may have changed over time," the paper said. "We cannot rule out that factors other than ASB (artificially sweetened beverages)... are responsible for the association with diabetes."
The study is published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
