Why One Can of Diet Soda Might Be More Harmful Than Regular Soda

An Expert Suggests Healthier Alternatives for Soda Lovers

Your routine of drinking diet soda daily or opting for a low-sugar fizzy drink after work could be damaging your health, according to a startling new study.

Some people enjoy a refreshing lemonade or a fruity soda with their meals, while others use carbonated drinks to support their ongoing alcohol abstinence.

Whether you're a fan of so-called "dirty sodas" like the Mormon Wives or just enjoy a diet cola occasionally, it's important to know that drinks containing either real or artificial sugars may pose serious health risks.

Recent research, unveiled on Monday (October 6) at UEG Week 2025, suggests a connection between both sugar-sweetened drinks and those sweetened with low or no sugar, and an increased risk of developing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Your regular soda consumption might raise your risk of liver disease

MASLD is identified as the leading cause of chronic liver disease, occurring when excess fat accumulates in your liver, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Over time, this liver fat can lead to inflammation. Symptoms include discomfort in your upper right abdomen, reduced appetite, and unanticipated weight loss.

To reach this conclusion, researchers, including Lihe Liu, a graduate student in the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, utilized repeated 24-hour dietary surveys to monitor beverage consumption.

Researchers analyzed the links between soda consumption and the risks of developing MASLD, liver fat accumulation, and liver-related deaths.

Findings indicated that increased consumption of both sugar-sweetened and low- or non-sugar-sweetened drinks was linked to a 60 percent and 50 percent higher risk of developing MASLD, respectively.

During the median 10.3-year follow-up, 1,178 participants developed MASLD, and 108 died from liver-related causes, as reported by the study.

Although no significant link was found for sugar-sweetened sodas, consumption of low- or non-sugar-sweetened drinks was also connected to a higher risk of liver-related mortality.

More alarmingly, both types of sodas were positively linked with increased liver fat content.

An expert recommends replacing your soda habit with a glass of water

Discussing the concerning findings, lead author Liu stated: “[Low- or non-sugar-sweetened drinks] have been scrutinized for a long time, while their ‘diet’ counterparts are often considered healthier. However, both are widely consumed, and their impact on liver health is not well understood.”

Liu clarified that the research indicated that even a single can of diet soda could raise the risk of MASLD. A carbonated drink with artificial sweeteners might also ‘alter the gut microbiome, disrupt the sense of fullness, trigger sweet cravings, and even stimulate insulin secretion’.

“These findings question the common belief that these drinks are harmless and emphasize the need to reassess their role in diet and liver health, especially as MASLD becomes a global health issue,” the author added.

Following the study, the researchers encourage chronic soda drinkers to ‘reduce both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks’ in their diets.

“Water remains the best option as it alleviates the metabolic burden and prevents fat buildup in the liver while hydrating the body,” Liu acknowledged.

Experts now plan to investigate ‘causal mechanisms more thoroughly’, according to Eurek Alert.

This will involve conducting long-term, randomized, and genetic trials focusing on how sugar and its substitutes interact with the gut microbiome and affect liver disease.