DIABETES IN A CAN – Consumers Association Penang

According to a 2013 study in Diabetologia, drinking just 1 can (12 oz or 336 ml) a day of sugar-sweetened soft drinks may increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 22%. This increase was not found for either fruit juices or artificially sweetened soft drinks.

A 2010 study in Diabetes Care reported that people who consume sugary drinks regularly – 1-2 cans a day or more – have a 26% greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than people who rarely have such drinks. Risks are even greater in young adults and Asians.

And diet soft drinks are not any better. Even though they contain no sugar, diet soft drinks are usually sweetened with artificial sweeteners. (They may also contain natural or artificial flavours, colouring agents, acids, preservatives, and caffeine.) Studies show that diet soft drink drinkers are at a 62% higher risk of developing diabetes than regular soft drink drinkers.

“No matter how you flavour it or change the label, it’s still diabetes in a can,” says medical school professor Robert Lufkin MD.

SAFER ALTERNATIVES: Plain water, milk, unsweetened tea (both green and black), 100% fruit juices, and fruit infused water provide a wide array of healthier choices.