Link between Type 2 diabetes, diet soda consumption may not exist

NEW YORK — The link between diet soda and diabetes may not be as strong as previously thought, according to a study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Between 1986 and 2006, more than 40,000 men filled out regular questionnaires about health and diets, which the Harvard team, led by nutrition and epidemiology professor Frank Hu, then collected.

When controlling the data for other diabetes risk factors, the researchers found no link between diabetes and diet soda, while those who drank coffee or tea regularly either did not increase their risk or were at lower risk of developing it. At the same time, of the 7% of men who were diagnosed with diabetes, their risk of developing it increased by 16% if they drank more than one serving of drinks with high sugar content per day, especially soda.