Mixed
Consuming ≥2 servings/week of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) or artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) is associated with a significantly higher risk of type 2 diabetes, even among adults who meet physical activity guidelines.
If you drink sugary or artificially sweetened beverages frequently (≥2 servings/week), your risk of type 2 diabetes increases, even if you exercise regularly. While exercise helps mitigate this risk, it does not cancel it out. To lower your diabetes risk, you should reduce your intake of these beverages in addition to staying active.
Even when individuals were physically active, a higher consumption of SSBs or ASBs was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohorts with long follow-up, though observational design limits causality.
Source
Sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverage consumption, physical activity and risk of type 2 diabetes in US adults
Lorena S. Pacheco et al. · Diabetologia · 2025
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