Soda and other artificially sweetened drinks are linked to an increased risk of liver disease, an unpublished study presented recently for United European Gastroenterology Week showed. Researchers said having one soda a day can lead to a higher chance of developing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD.
The study followed 123,788 United Kingdom Biobank participants without liver disease who took multiple questionnaires about what they ate in a 24-hour period. It lasted for about a decade.
What researchers found was that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was associated with a 50% elevated risk of developing MASLD, and low- or non-sugar-sweetened beverages (LNSSBs) like diet soda were associated with a 60% higher risk.
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Challenging perceptions
“Our study shows that LNSSBs were actually linked to a higher risk of MASLD, even at modest intake levels such as a single can per day,” Lihe Liu, the study’s lead author and a graduate student at China’s Soochow University, said. “These findings challenge the common perception that these drinks are harmless and highlight the need to reconsider their role in diet and liver health, especially as MASLD emerges as a global health concern.”
While SSBs have been scrutinized for a long time, their “diet” alternatives are often seen as healthier, Liu said in a statement. “Both, however, are widely consumed and their effects on liver health have not been well understood,” she added.
Higher sugar content in SSBs can cause spikes in blood glucose and insulin, according to Liu, along with promoting weight gain and increasing uric acid levels. All of these factors contribute to the accumulation of fat in the liver. Meanwhile, LNSSBs change the gut microbiome, which researchers said disrupts the feeling of fullness, causing people to crave sweets and also stimulating insulin secretion.
What can be done?
So what should you drink instead? Researchers say some good ol’ H2O. Replacing soda with water “significantly reduced” MASLD risk by 12.8% for SSBs and 15.2% for LNSSBs.
“The safest approach is to limit both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks,” Liu said. “Water remains the best choice as it removes the metabolic burden and prevents fat accumulation in the liver, whilst hydrating the body.”
The researchers now want to further explore causal mechanisms through “long-term, randomized and genetic trials,” focusing on how sugar and its substitutes interact with the gut microbiome and influence liver disease, a news release said.
What is MASLD?
MASLD, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), happens when fat accumulates in the liver.
The Cleveland Clinic writes that those with MASLD may not have symptoms. To diagnose it, health care providers use blood or imaging tests, as well as liver biopsies.
Having obesity or Type 2 diabetes increases the chances of getting the disease, but losing weight or becoming active can prevent or slow it down.
Experts cited by the Cleveland Clinic say MASLD affects more than 30% of people worldwide.
