Scientists Link Popular Drink With Over 330,000 Deaths a Year
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Sugar-sweetened beverages may increase your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, new research finds.
Sugary drinks were found to be linked to over 330,000 deaths a year.
Experts explain the findings.
You may want to think twice before adding soda to your shopping cart. New research shows that not only do sugary drinks increase your risk for serious conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but they are also linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths every year.
A study published in Nature Medicine analyzed global data on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumed around the world from both observational and randomized studies, as well as diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevalence.
On a global level, researchers found that 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of heart disease in 2020 were attributable to SSBs—representing about 1 in 10 new type 2 diabetes cases and 1 in 30 new heart disease cases. They also estimated that about 340,000 people died in 2020 from SSB-related type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The problem is particularly serious in Latin America and the Caribbean, the study notes, which had the largest number of heart disease cases related to beverages, and sub-Saharan Africa, which also had the most cases of type 2 diabetes. The study also examined the demographics of those most affected by sugar-sweetened drinks—namely, younger male adults with higher education in urban areas.
Sugary drinks, or sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), include soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, energy drinks, punch, lemonade, and traditional beverages such as aguas frescas, says Adedapo Iluyomade, M.D., preventative cardiologist with Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. “Importantly, 100% fruit juice, artificially sweetened beverages, and sweetened milk are typically excluded from this definition.”
Sugary drinks can drive the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease through both direct and indirect mechanisms, says Dr. Iluyomade. “Rapid absorption of sugars in liquid form causes glucose spikes and insulin surges, promoting visceral fat accumulation and insulin resistance,” he says. Over time, these changes can lead to metabolic dysfunction, elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, and chronic inflammation—key drivers of both type 2 diabetes and heart disease, he explains.
Excessive consumption of added sugars also causes an imbalance between eating more nutrient-dense foods and weight gain, leading to harmful changes to our health, says Melissa Prest, D.C.N., R.D.N., national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board. “Any type of added sugar in our diets, whether from food or beverages, should be limited,” she says. Ideally, we want to choose water and non-caloric beverages more often than sugar-sweetened beverages, she advises.
Dr. Iluyomade agrees, explaining that given their strong association with negative cardiometabolic outcomes, sugary drinks should be limited to occasional consumption. “For most individuals, less than one serving per week is advisable, especially when balanced with a nutrient-dense, whole-food-based diet such as the Mediterranean Diet,” he says, also noting that daily or frequent consumption is not recommended.
The bottom line
It’s important to remember that this study’s analysis was observational. Therefore, the researchers can’t say that sugar-sweetened beverages are causing type 2 diabetes and heart disease—they can only estimate the greater impact.
This observational relationship has been present in many other studies that looked at high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and health outcomes, says Prest. “These results reinforce the messages from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Heart Association, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to choose more nutrient-dense foods and low to no-sugar beverages while limiting foods and drinks with added sugars,” she explains.
Though many factors go into a type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease diagnosis, this study highlights the significant burden associated with frequent drinking of sugary drinks. “The findings emphasize the urgent need for public health measures aimed at reducing sugary drink consumption, particularly in regions and subpopulations with the highest-burden—like ours here in the U.S.,” Dr. Iluyomade says. Beyond the direct metabolic risks, sugary drinks oftentimes replace healthier dietary choices, compounding their negative impact, he notes.
If you are looking for ways to cut back on sugar and sweetened beverages, Prest suggests starting simply “by cutting out one to two sugar-sweetened beverages/day or week and choosing smart swaps like plain sparkling water mixed with freshly squeezed fruit.”
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