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Study reveals potentially deadly risk of 'healthier' drinks like Diet Coke READ MORE: Doctor warns fizzy drinks consumed by millions trigger hair loss By EMILY STEARN, SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE Published: 14:00 EDT, 8 April 2025 | Updated: 14:06 EDT, 8 April 2025 e-mail 1 View comments Artificial sweeteners added to 'healthier' fizzy drinks like Diet Coke could trigger type 2 diabetes, research suggested today. Scientists found aspartame, which has been used since the 80s and is also found in products like Extra chewing gum and Muller Light yoghurts, contributed to a worrying rise in diabetes risk. French researchers, who tracked the diets of more than 108,000 people, discovered those who consumed more of a certain additive mixture that included aspartame saw their risk increase by more than 10 per cent compared to those who didn't.
But they cautioned that further research was still vital to further prove the link and said they couldn't be sure why certain additives and sweeteners put people at greater risk. Some previous research, however, has suggested that low-calorie sweeteners can significantly alter the make-up of bacteria in the gut. This, experts say, changes the way the body absorbs and regulates blood sugar which over time increases the risk of developing diabetes.
In the fresh study, the scientists from Sorbonne University in Paris, tracked 108,643 participants, aged 43 on average. Every six months participants were asked to fill out three days of 24-hour dietary records, randomly assigned over a two week period. Scientists found aspartame, which has been used since the 80s and is also found in products like Diet Coke, Extra chewing gum and Muller Light yoghurts, contributed to a worrying rise in diabetes risk Almost 4.
3 million people were living with diabetes in 2021/22, according to the latest figures for the UK. And another 850,000 people have diabetes and are completely unaware of it, which is worrying because untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to complications including heart disease and strokes These included two week days and one weekend day to account for how diet typically varies across the week. Factors that could skew the results, smoking history, age and alcohol intake were also accounted for.
Over a follow-up of eight years they found a total of 1,131 people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Two out of five identified food additive mixtures were associated with higher type 2 diabetes incidence. The first, which included modified starches, pectin, guar gum, carrageenan, polyphosphates, potassium sorbates, curcumin and xanthan gum raised the risk by 8 per cent.
Composed primarily of emulsifiers and preservatives, these are often found in industrially processed foods and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) such as dairy desserts, fats and sauce. The second mixture saw type 2 diabetes risk increase by 13 per cent. This included citric acid, sodium citratesm phosphoric acid, sulphite ammonia caramel, acesulfame-K, aspartame, sucralose, arabic gum, malic acid, carnauba wax, paprika extract, anthocyanins, guar gum and pectin.
UK PRODUCTS CONTAINING ASPARTAME: Particular products containing aspartame — which entered the market in the 1980s — include Diet Coke, Dr Pepper as well as Extra chewing gum and Muller Light yoghurts. Some toothpastes, dessert mixes, and sugar-free cough drops also contain it These acidifiers, artificial sweeteners and dyes are commonly found in artificially sweetened and sugary drinks. Writing in the journal PLOS Medicine , the scientists said: 'These findings suggest that a combination of food additives may be of interest to consider in safety assessments and they support public health recommendations to limit non-essential additives.
' They added that 'several' of the additives in the two mixtures had been 'associated with higher type 2 diabetes incidence in previous publications on emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners'. But they noted that the increased risk noted in both groups was 'not entirely driven by any of the specific additives alone' and further research would first be necessary to explain how they raised the risk. It comes as a major safety review by World Health Organization bosses in 2023 ruled that aspartame would be classed as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans'.
But its guidance — that an 11 stone (70kg) adult can drink 14 cans of a diet drink per day — will not change. This is because aspartame only poses a definite risk to those who consume massive amounts, the UN agency concluded. The UK is the worst in Europe for eating UPFs, which make up an estimated 57 per cent of the national diet.
The Nova system, developed by scientists in Brazil more than a decade ago, splits food into four groups based on the amount of processing it has gone through. Unprocessed foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, eggs and meat. Processed culinary ingredients — which are usually not eaten alone — include oils, butter, sugar and salt They are thought to be a key driver of obesity, which costs the NHS around £6.
5billion a year. Ready meals, ice cream and tomato ketchup are some of the best-loved examples of products that fall under the umbrella UPF term. They are different from processed foods, which are altered to make them last longer or enhance their taste, such as cured meat, cheese and fresh bread.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn't make enough insulin or the insulin it makes doesn't work properly. This hormone is needed to bring down blood sugar levels. Having high blood sugar levels over time can cause heart attacks and strokes, as well as problems with the eyes, kidneys and feet.
Sufferers may need to overhaul their diet, take daily medication and have regular check-ups. Symptoms of the condition, which is diagnosed with a blood test, include excessive thirst, tiredness and needing to urinate more often. But many people have no signs.
Almost 4.3million people were living with diabetes in 2021/22, according to the latest figures for the UK. Approximately 90 per cent of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, which is linked with obesity and is typically diagnosed in middle age, rather than type 1 diabetes, a genetic condition usually identified early in life.
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