(WXYZ) — Diet drinks are often seen as a healthier choice than sugary drinks, but a new study suggests that may not be true. Both regular and artificially sweetened drinks could raise your risk for fatty liver disease.
This study is quite interesting. Artificially sweetened drinks actually fared worse than regular sugary drinks.
Now, researchers looked at data from nearly 124,000 adults in the United Kingdom. Here’s what they found: drinking more than 330 grams, or about one can, of either artificially sweetened or sugary beverages every day, raised the risk of fatty liver disease.
In the U.S., this is now called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease or MASLD.
According to this study, sugary drinks showed a 50% higher risk of developing MASLD, while artificially sweetened drinks raised that risk by 60%. Artificially sweetened drinks were also linked to a higher risk of liver-related death, and both types of beverages were tied to more fat in the liver.
So why might it be happening? Well, sugary drinks can spike blood sugar and insulin, cause weight gain and raise uric acid. These can lead to fat buildup in your liver, which is how MASLD develops. Artificially sweetened drinks may also play a role by changing gut bacteria, making you feel less full, increasing cravings for sweets and even triggering insulin release.
The good news is that researchers found that people who replaced either type of drink with water saw their risk lowered by 13 to 15%. Water is great because it hydrates without stressing your liver.
As for knowing if you have MASLD, it can be difficult because there are often no symptoms. Some might feel more tired or notice mild discomfort on the right side of their abdomen, but it’s often found by accident during medical tests.
If it’s caught early, MASLD can be reversed through lifestyle changes like losing about 10% of your body weight, eating more whole foods, exercising and cutting back on added sugars and processed drinks. If it’s not addressed, inflammation, scarring, cirrhosis or even liver cancer can develop over time.
In some cases, medication may help, and for severe liver damage, a transplant might be needed. MASLD already contributes to tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year, and that number is expected to rise.
Now, this study hasn’t been fully published yet, so more research is coming. But it’s a good reminder to go easy on both sugary and artificially sweetened drinks — your liver will thank you.
