In my last post, Diet soda and the brainI have described how artificial sweeteners such as sucralose affect hunger, memoryand good brain signaling. This raised the obvious question: If diet Soda isn’t the safe choice we think, what about plain soda?
The arguments against sugar-sweetened beverages are more consistent and have been around for years. The most interesting story why most of us are not sure. Some of this uncertainty did not happen by accident. It is manufactured.
What independent science shows
Sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugar in the American diet. A a systematic review Based on the 2000-2024 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, published studies concluded that these beverages may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults. A separate year of 2025 review It found that the pattern was not subtle: the more sugar-sweetened beverages people drank, the higher their risk of diabetes.
This makes biological sense. Sugary drinks deliver a large, rapid dose of fructose and glucose, usually without fiber or protein to slow absorption. Over time, this pattern leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, and elevated triglycerides—the same factors that lead to type 2 diabetes.
Perfect pattern for casual wear
In 2016, UCSF’s Dr. Dean Schillinger a review 60 studies published between 2001 and 2016 on sugary drinks, obesity and type 2 diabetes. The pattern was unmistakable: 34 studies found a link, and only one of them was funded by industry. All 26 studies that found no link were funded by the beverage industry. “The industry appears to be manipulating the modern scientific process, generating controversy, and advancing its own business interests at the expense of public health,” the authors conclude.
This was not an isolated finding. Separately analysis inside PLOS Medicine Industry-funded beverage studies were about five times more likely to find no link between sugary drinks and weight gain than independently funded ones. This consistency across years and study groups ceases to appear random.
Game book
It’s not just about which research gets funded, but which messages get amplified. In 2015, internal documents revealed that Coca-Cola funded and helped form the Global Energy Balance Network, a group’s public message that emphasizes exercise over diet. attention of the role of sugar in weight gain. Coca-Cola reportedly helped select him leadership and messaging calling it a “weapon” in a “war” with health advocates. When this became known, the network disbanded.
Boston University learning It found that between 2011 and 2015, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo funded 96 national public health organizations while lobbying against at least 28 state public health laws aimed at reducing soda consumption. As Schillinger puts it: “We’re in a public health war right now with diabetes. In every war, there’s propaganda … we’re being played.” The American Beverage Association states that its scientific research mission is to “inform and clarify the debate through scientific research conducted according to the highest standards of excellence.” Although industry funding does not automatically invalidate a study, it does raise suspicion when the conclusions of the study correlate too reliably with the conclusions of the industry that paid for it.
Mental Health Communication
Another part of this story that doesn’t get talked about enough: diabetes, obesity, and mental health. closely relatedand each can make the others worse. Research shows that people with depression Type 2 diabetes is more likely, and people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to be depressed. Scientists believe that diabetes, obesity and mental illness all involve the same problems in the body, including ongoing inflammation. stress hormones it stays high for a very long time. The link is even stronger in people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, who develop type 2 diabetes. two to five times more often than the general population, partly because some of the drugs used to treat these conditions cause weight gain and directly affect blood sugar. Sugary drinks make the problem worse. By increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes, they may also increase the risk of mental illness.
Combine it
A bigger picture emerges than any sweetener. Diet soda can quietly alter hunger signals and brain chemistry, while regular soda can lead to obesity, diabetes, and possibly mental illness. Evidence for these connections has been backed up by decades of research. And for a long time, the beverage industry made a well-funded effort to keep the public in the dark.
This does not mean that every soda causes diabetes, or that every industry-funded study is worthless. But it does mean that when evaluating claims about sugar and health, one must ask who funded the research and what they achieved. In the meantime, the surest way to support your physical and mental health is to focus on water, whole foods, and the occasional sweet treat. You don’t have to be strict about it, but it’s worth the effort.
