Just one can of Diet Coke or Sprite a day could raise risk of deadly liver disease by up to 60 per cent, concerning research suggests
Drinking just one can of fizzy drink per day—diet or full-fat—could dramatically raise the risk of developing deadly liver disease, concerning research today suggested.
Known medically as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the condition is not linked to heavy drinking—the more commonly known cause of liver problems.
Instead, MASLD occurs when excess fat builds up inside the liver, and it is said to be on the rise in the UK.
Now, Chinese researchers have discovered just 250ml of fizzy drinks per day — less than one can — was enough to raise the risk of MASLD by up to 60 per cent.
The scientists, who analysed the diets of more than 123,000 British adults, found those who guzzled sugar-sweetened drinks like Coca-Cola had a 50 per cent increased likelihood of developing the condition.
By comparison, low or non-sugar-sweetened drinks such as Diet Coke or Sprite Zero Sugar, raised the risk of MASLD by 60 per cent.
Experts, today, said the findings suggested ‘diet’ alternatives could be more harmful to liver health than thought and urged health officials to ‘reconsider’ their role in healthy diets.
Lihe Liu, a gastroenterology researcher at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou, said: ‘Sugar sweetened beverages have long been under scrutiny, while their ‘diet’ alternatives are often seen as the healthier choice.
Sugary fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola and Sprite have long been under scrutiny, but now experts say low or non sugar alternatives could be just as harmful
‘Both, however, are widely consumed and their effects on liver health have not been well understood.
‘Our study shows that low or non-sugar-sweetened drinks were actually linked to a higher risk of MASLD, even at modest intake levels such as a single can per day.
‘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.
‘The safest approach is to limit both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks.
‘Water remains the best choice as it removes the metabolic burden and prevents fat accumulation in the liver, whilst hydrating the body.’
In the study, researchers tracked 123,788 adults who did not have a history of liver disease.
Participants were asked to fill out dietary questionnaires every 24 hours which tracked their beverage consumption.
Over a follow-up of 10 years, they discovered 1,178 participants developed MASLD and 108 died from liver-related causes.
Known medically as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the condition is not linked to heavy drinking—the more commonly known cause of liver problems
They also discovered that replacing either sugar sweetened or low or non-sugar-sweetened drinks with water, significantly reduced MASLD risk by 12.8 and 15.2 per cent respectively.
The scientists believe this may be because sugar sweetened drinks dramatically affect blood glucose levels, while low or non-sugar sweetened drinks could alter the gut microbiome.
‘The higher sugar content in sugar sweetened beverages can cause rapid spikes in blood glucose and insulin, promote weight gain and increase uric acid levels, all of which contribute to liver fat accumulation,’ Liu said.
‘Low or non-sugar sweetened beverages, on the other hand, may affect liver health by altering the gut microbiome, disrupting the feeling of fullness, driving sweet cravings and even stimulating insulin secretion.’
The research will be presented in full at the United European Gastroenterology annual congress in Berlin on October 7.
The researchers now aim to further investigate how sugar and its substitutes interact with the gut microbiome to influence liver disease.
The British Liver Trust estimates MASLD may now affect one in five people in the UK—though experts have warned the true figure could be as high as 40 per cent.
Worryingly, around 80 per cent of those affected remain undiagnosed, as the disease often has no obvious symptoms—or it has symptoms that are mistaken for less serious problems.
In most cases, it is only spotted during routine blood tests or liver function tests carried out for unrelated issues.
Professor Philip Newsome, Director of the Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies at King’s College London previously told the Daily Mail: ‘People who develop MASLD are often overweight or have diabetes.
‘We’re seeing an increase in liver disease in the UK, and the challenge is that symptoms are often unnoticeable until it’s too late.’
He added that it’s a common and dangerous misconception that only alcohol can cause liver scarring, as excess fat and uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to the same outcome.
