Drinking Sugar Poses Greater Diabetes Risk Than Eating It, Study Finds
Drinking Sugar Poses Greater Diabetes Risk Than Eating It, Study Finds
The article was highlighted on June 2, 2025 , in the ‘Heart Health’ category & available in full at the ScienceDirect.
Key Points Summary:
1. Major Finding:
• A large meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition shows that sugar from beverages (soda, fruit juice) is significantly more harmful than sugar consumed from solid foods when it comes to type 2 diabetes risk.
2. Study Scope:
• Included data from more than 800,000 adults across 29 studies.
• Adjusted for variables like BMI and other lifestyle factors.
3. Risk by Beverage Type:
• One serving of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases the relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes by ~25%.
• One serving of fruit juice increases relative risk by ~5%.
• Table sugar and total dietary sugar (from food) were not associated with increased diabetes risk.
4. Quote from Lead Author:
• “Drinking your sugar—whether from soda or juice—is more problematic for health than eating it.” — Karen Della Corte, PhD, Brigham Young University.
5. Policy Implication:
• The study urges stricter dietary guidelines for liquid sugars, highlighting the importance of sugar source and form rather than just focusing on “total sugar.”
The findings suggest that the form and context of sugar intake matter; This distinction was reinforced by a June 2025 meta-analysis of over 800,000 adults, which found that sugar from sweetened beverages increased the risk of type 2 diabetes (up to 25% per serving), while sugar consumed as part of nutrient-dense foods showed no such association.