We all know the great feeling of relaxing with a cold soda, perhaps when watching a movie, after a hard day’s work, or just at the beach in the summertime. Many chose diet options, but now experts have issued a serious health warning. I can affect you even if you drink less than one can a day.

A study presented on October 6 at the 2025 United European Gastroenterology Week conference in Berlin shows that even drinking diet soda and moderate amounts of artificially sweetened and sugary drinks can be a health hazard. It is associated with an increased risk of liver disease, the study says.

As little as 9 ounces os a sugary drink per day can increase the risk of Metabolically Dysregulated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) by 50%. Meanwhile, the same amount of a single diet soda can increase the risk by 60%.

MASLD was previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is a condition where fat accumulates in the liver. Per USA Today, it’s the most common form of liver disease in the world and can lead to severe liver scarring or even cirrhosis, similar to the effects of heavy alcohol use.

“Our study shows that (low- or non-sugar-sweetened beverages) were actually linked to a higher risk of MASLD, even at modest intake levels such as a single can per day,” Lihe Liu, a graduate student in the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, and lead author of the study, said.

New study shows health risks of drinking diet sodas

He added that the higher sugar content in sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) can “cause rapid spikes in blood glucose and insulin,” which can “promote weight gain and increase uric acid levels,” all of which contribute to liver fat accumulation.

On the other hand, Liu said low- or non-sugar-sweetened beverages (LNSSBs) “may affect liver health by altering the gut microbiome, disrupting the feeling of fullness, driving sweet cravings and even stimulating insulin secretion.”

That there are health risks of drinking sodas isn’t something new. Added sugars, such as cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, can harm your health. The carbon dioxide in your favorite soda can affect your stomach more than you might think.

Speaking to USA Today, Dr. Wesley McWhorter, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, previously said, “Your body processes them similarly, but fructose is primarily metabolized in the liver. When consumed in excess, especially from sugary drinks and other concentrated sources, fructose can promote fat accumulation in the liver, a key contributor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”

Effects on the liver

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr pushed to eliminate some food ingredients, such as artificial dyes. In July, they agreed that Coca-Cola would use cane sugar in the sodas sold in the US. While diet sodas might seem like the healthy choice, that isn’t always the truth.

“(Sugar-sweetened beverages) have long been under scrutiny, while their ‘diet’ alternatives are often seen as the healthier choice. Both, however, are widely consumed, and their effects on liver health have not been well understood,” Lihe Liu said.

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