Table of Contents
A recent study found that some people’s diabetes may indeed be related to excessive intake of sugary drinks.
One in ten new cases of type 2 diabetes worldwide may be caused by sugary drinks
In January 2025, a study published in the journal Nature Medicine showed that approximately 1/10 of new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1/30 of new cases of cardiovascular disease worldwide may be related to the intake of sugary drinks.
The burden of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease caused by sugary drinks in 184 countries. [Research screenshot]
The study conducted modeling estimates for 184 countries and found that in 2020, the contribution of sugary drinks to the global incidence of type 2 diabetes increased by 1.3%, among which the health burden of young people was significantly higher than that of the elderly.
In fact, as early as 2015, an article published in the British Medical Journal systematically evaluated the relationship between sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes. The results showed that the risk of type 2 diabetes increased by 18% for each serving of sugary drinks per day.
In the 10 years from 2010 to 2020, drinking sugary drinks was associated with a 4%-13% incidence of type 2 diabetes in the United States and a 2%-6% incidence of type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom. The results confirmed that the higher the consumption of sugary drinks, the higher the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Sugary drinks can significantly increase diabetes risk
Fang Hongjuan, director of the Endocrinology Department of the Air Force General Hospital, said in an interview with the People’s Daily Health Client on January 8, 2025, that added sugar in beverages can quickly increase blood sugar and insulin levels. In the long run, it may lead to or aggravate hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance.
At the same time, sugary drinks are high in calories, low in nutrient density, and not easy to produce a sense of fullness, so many people consume too much without realizing it. Diabetics often do not reduce the intake of other foods due to drinking sugary drinks, which leads to total calorie intake exceeding consumption, thereby aggravating obesity and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism.
Sugar-free drinks may be more harmful than sugary drinks
Many people think that “sugar-containing drinks” are unhealthy, so why not switch to “sugar-free drinks”? However, you may not know that sugar-free drinks are the “gathering place” of artificial sweeteners.
Mu Yiming, director of the Department of Endocrinology of the First Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army, said in an interview with Beijing Youth Daily in 2022 that sugar substitutes, especially many sugar-free drinks, are actually not good for the human body. Recently, many studies have found that if sugar-free drinks are added with sweeteners, there is no essential difference between them and sugary drinks in causing diabetes. On the contrary, these sugar-free, sweet drinks may be more harmful than drinking sweet, sugary drinks in causing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Tan Jinmei, a doctor in the Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology at the Wuhan Yangtze River Shipping General Hospital and Wuhan Brain Hospital in Hubei Province, also said in an interview with Jimu News in 2021 that sugar-free does not mean no sugar but does not contain sugar-raising ingredients such as sucrose and glucose and uses artificial sweeteners in various forms instead.
Once excessive sweetener intake occurs, it will not only stimulate insulin production and affect the sensitivity of insulin receptors but also reflexively increase appetite, leading to excessive calories. Therefore, long-term drinking of sugar-free beverages instead of normal drinking water will accelerate the body’s metabolic disorder and cause diabetes.
People who drink beverages frequently remember these points
1. The healthiest drink is boiled water
Boiled water is the first choice. If you don’t like to drink tasteless water, you can add 1-2 slices of fresh lemon or 3-4 mint leaves to the water to increase the color and taste of the water.
2. Do not drink more than one can of beverages a week
In 2023, a research team from West China Hospital of Sichuan University published a study in the British Medical Journal that listed the various hazards of sugary drinks and gave advice: weekly intake of sugary drinks should be controlled to less than one serving (i.e., 200-355 ml).
In other words, it is best not to drink more than one can (about 335 ml) of sugary drinks in a week.
3. Drink some tea in moderation every day
Meng Lulu from the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention published an article in the Popular Health Magazine in 2024, saying that drinking tea in moderation can not only replenish water but also be good for health. Drinking tea can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and gastric cancer.
It is not suitable for ordinary people to drink a lot of strong tea. Remind everyone to pay attention to the water temperature and method of brewing tea. The water temperature for brewing black tea should be close to 100 degrees Celsius, and the water temperature for brewing green tea should be 80 degrees Celsius. It can be brewed for 2-3 minutes.
