Sugar-Sweetened Drinks and Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Written by Dr. Albana Greca, MD, MMedSc, Family Physician

Medically reviewed by Dr. Ruden Cakoni, MD, Endocrinologist

Last medically reviewed: July 2026

Sugar-sweetened drinks are one of the most important beverage choices to reconsider if you have diabetes or want to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. I am not saying that one occasional soda causes diabetes. However, regularly drinking sugary beverages can add large amounts of rapidly absorbed sugar and calories without making you feel as full as solid food.

On this page, I will explain which drinks count as sugar-sweetened beverages, what research tells us about diabetes risk, how juice and diet drinks compare, and which everyday replacements I recommend to my patients.

Quick Answer

Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease. These drinks are not the only cause of diabetes, but they are a modifiable risk factor. I recommend choosing water most often and limiting soda, sweetened tea, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, and other beverages containing added sugar.

On this page:

What Counts as a Sugar-Sweetened Drink?

A sugar-sweetened beverage is a drink containing sugar or another caloric sweetener added during manufacturing or preparation.

common sugar sweetened drinks

Sugar may appear on the ingredient list as sucrose, glucose, fructose, dextrose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, honey, agave syrup, or fruit juice concentrate.

One important distinction is that 100% fruit juice does not contain added sugar and is therefore not always classified as a sugar-sweetened beverage. However, it still contains free sugars, has little of the fiber present in whole fruit, and can raise blood glucose rapidly.

What Do Studies Say About Sugary Drinks and Diabetes?

Large observational studies consistently find that people who consume more sugar-sweetened beverages have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely consume them.

A 2010 meta-analysis involving more than 300,000 participants found that people in the highest intake groups—often one or two sugary drinks daily—had approximately a 26% higher relative risk of type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest intake.

A newer systematic review of prospective studies found that each additional daily serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage was associated with an approximately 25% higher relative risk of type 2 diabetes. It also found a smaller association with fruit juice.

What “higher relative risk” means: It does not mean that 25% of everyone who drinks soda will develop diabetes. It compares the risk in one group with the risk in another group. Your personal risk also depends on age, genetics, body weight, activity, overall diet, pregnancy history, medications, and other health factors.

These studies show an association and cannot prove that a single beverage directly caused diabetes in a particular person. Nevertheless, the consistency of the evidence and the known metabolic effects of sugary beverages support limiting them.

You can assess other contributing factors with our type 2 diabetes risk calculator.

Why Can Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Increase Diabetes Risk?

Sugary drinks deliver carbohydrate in liquid form, which is usually consumed quickly and provides little fiber or lasting fullness. A person may therefore drink several hundred calories without compensating by eating less later.

Regular consumption may contribute to diabetes risk through several connected pathways:

  • Rapid glucose absorption: Liquid sugar can produce a quick rise in blood glucose and insulin.
  • Excess calorie intake: Beverage calories may not satisfy hunger as effectively as solid food.
  • Weight gain: Frequent excess calorie intake can contribute to overweight and abdominal fat.
  • Insulin resistance: Weight gain and excess liver fat can make the body less responsive to insulin.
  • Higher cardiometabolic risk: Frequent intake is also associated with unfavorable triglycerides and cardiovascular disease.

Sugary drinks are not the sole cause of type 2 diabetes. Genetics, aging, sleep, physical activity, overall dietary patterns, certain medicines, and health conditions also matter. Still, replacing these beverages is one practical change you can make immediately.

How Much Sugar Can One Drink Contain?

A typical 12-ounce or 355-mL can of regular soda may contain around 35–40 grams of added sugar, although the amount varies by product. That is approximately 9–10 teaspoons of sugar.

The American Heart Association suggests limiting added sugar to no more than about 25 grams daily for most women and 36 grams daily for most men. These are limits for added sugar from all foods and drinks—not recommendations to consume a particular number of ounces of soda.

There is no evidence-based rule saying that five ounces of sugary drinks every day is safe or necessary. Less is better, and water should be your usual beverage.

Does 100% Fruit Juice Increase Diabetes Risk?

Fruit juice should not be treated as equivalent to whole fruit. Whole fruit contains fiber and requires chewing, which generally slows consumption and improves fullness. Juice concentrates the fruit’s sugar into a form that is easy to drink quickly.

Recent evidence suggests that greater fruit juice intake may be associated with a modestly higher risk of type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, juice can also raise your blood sugar rapidly.

I usually encourage my patients to choose whole fruit instead of juice. If you drink juice, keep the portion small and count its carbohydrate as part of your meal plan. Juice may also be used to treat low blood sugar when your treatment plan calls for fast-acting carbohydrate.

Fruit drinks, fruit punches, and juice cocktails may contain little real juice and substantial added sugar. Check the Nutrition Facts panel rather than relying on fruit pictures or words such as “natural.”

Are Diet Drinks and Artificial Sweeteners Safe?

It is not accurate to say that all artificial sweeteners are carcinogenic. Approved nonnutritive sweeteners have been evaluated by food-safety authorities, and acceptable daily intake limits have been established.

However, this does not mean that diet drinks must become part of your daily diet. Long-term observational studies have found associations between artificially sweetened beverages and several health outcomes, but these findings are difficult to interpret. People already at higher risk may be more likely to choose diet drinks, and other lifestyle factors may influence the results.

The American Diabetes Association states that nonnutritive sweeteners may be used in moderation and for the short term when they replace sugar-sweetened products and reduce total carbohydrate and calorie intake. Water remains the preferred beverage.

The World Health Organization advises against relying on non-sugar sweeteners for long-term weight control or prevention of chronic disease. This recommendation is conditional and is not a statement that every approved sweetener causes cancer.

Is Stevia the Safest Sugar Alternative?

Stevia comes from a plant, but “natural” does not automatically mean safer or healthier. Purified steviol glycosides are used as nonnutritive sweeteners and may help reduce added sugar when used in moderation. They are not proven to prevent or treat diabetes, and they should not be presented as the single safest choice for everyone.

Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are different from nonnutritive sweeteners. They may cause gas, bloating, or diarrhea when consumed in larger amounts.

What Should You Drink Instead?

I recommend gradually reducing how sweet you expect beverages to taste. This can make long-term changes easier than continually searching for another intensely sweet drink.

Better everyday choices include:

  • Plain water
  • Sparkling water without added sugar
  • Water flavored with lemon, lime, cucumber, or mint
  • Unsweetened tea
  • Coffee without added sugar, syrups, or heavy sweetened creamers
  • Plain milk in an appropriate portion

If you currently drink sugary beverages every day, you can begin by replacing one serving at a time. Diet drinks may be a short-term transition for some people, but the longer-term goal should be water and other unsweetened choices.

Three practical steps

  1. Choose water with your main meals.
  2. Stop keeping large bottles of sugary drinks at home.
  3. Reduce sugar in tea or coffee gradually rather than replacing it automatically with another sweetener.

How to Find Added Sugar on a Drink Label

Do not judge a drink only by the words on the front of the package. “Organic,” “natural,” “vitamin,” and “energy” do not mean sugar-free.

Check:

  • Serving size: A bottle may contain more than one serving.
  • Total carbohydrate: This helps you estimate the effect on blood glucose.
  • Total sugars: This includes naturally occurring and added sugars.
  • Added sugars: This shows sugar added during preparation.
  • Ingredients: Look for syrups, cane sugar, honey, agave, glucose, fructose, and juice concentrates.

If you use insulin or count carbohydrates, use the total carbohydrate amount—not only the “sugars” line—to guide your calculations according to your diabetes plan.

If You Already Have Diabetes

Sugary drinks can raise blood glucose quickly and make it more difficult to remain within your individual target range. Regularly replacing them with water or unsweetened drinks can reduce carbohydrate intake without requiring you to remove nutritious foods from your meals.

Check your readings according to your care plan and use our guide to blood sugar levels by time of day to understand why testing time matters.

Do not use regular soda or juice as your normal drink simply because you take glucose-lowering medication. The main exception is using a measured amount of fast-acting carbohydrate to treat hypoglycemia according to your treatment plan.

Talk with your healthcare professional if:

  • Your blood sugar remains high despite changing your drinks.
  • You have excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, or blurred vision.
  • You frequently need juice or soda to treat low blood sugar.
  • You are unsure how drinks should be counted in your insulin or meal plan.

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This page provides general education and does not replace personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.