Drinking just one can of artificially sweetened soft drink per day may increase the risk of serious liver disease more than its sugary equivalent, according to a major new study presented at United European Gastroenterology Week in Berlin.
The research, which followed 123,788 participants in UK Biobank over a decade, found that consuming sugar-sweetened beverages raised the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) by 50 per cent, while low or non-sugar-sweetened drinks increased the risk by 60 per cent.
MASLD, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, affects over 30 per cent of people globally and involves fat accumulation in the liver. During the study, 1,178 participants developed MASLD and 108 died from liver-related causes. Artificially sweetened drinks were linked to a higher risk of death from liver disease.
Lead author Lihe Liu, a graduate student at Soochow University in China, said: “These findings challenge the common perception that these drinks are harmless and highlight the need to reconsider their role in diet and liver health.” The study emphasised that replacing both sugary and diet drinks with water reduced liver disease risk by more than 10 per cent.
The NHS notes that MASLD has four stages, with early-stage fat buildup being very common and reversible through lifestyle changes. Liu added: “The safest approach is to limit both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks. Water remains the best choice.”
