A major new World Health Organisation study has added to research linking artificially-sweetened soft drinks with an increased risk of early death.
The global study of more than 450,000 people from 10 countries found that greater consumption of soft drinks, including both sugar-sweetened beverages and artificially sweetened, was associated with increased risk of overall death over the 16-year study period.
Strikingly, the rates for people drinking artificially-sweetened drinks were significantly higher than those consuming full sugar versions.
The researchers say that the findings of their study warrant further research to examine the long-term health impacts of common artificial sweeteners found in diet drinks. They also say that policies that aim to shift people from sugary drinks to diet versions may need to be reconsidered in light of the new findings.
They wrote: “Reformulation of sugar-sweetened soft drinks, in which sugar is replaced with low- or no-calorie sweeteners, is being driven by consumer awareness and fiscal instruments, such as taxes.
“Artificially sweetened soft drinks have few or no calories; however, their long-term physiological and health implications are largely unknown.”
The WHO report builds on a number of studies that have identified potential health risk from regular consumption of diet drinks. In February, research by the American Heart Association showed that two cans of sugar-free soft drinks a day could increase a woman’s risk of a heart attack or stroke by almost third.
A study last year by researchers in Singapore found that commonly used EU and US-approved artificial sweeteners damaged gut microbes. The researchers showed that bacteria found in the digestive system became toxic when exposed to concentrations of only one mg./ml. of the artificial sweeteners.
It remains unclear why diet drinks could produce such negative health outcomes. One theory is that may induce glucose intolerance and trigger high blood insulin levels.