journal · Public research summary
Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and fruit juice and incidence of type 2 diabetes
Higher sugar-sweetened drink intake was associated with higher type 2 diabetes incidence, including after adjustment for adiposity.
Educational only. Associations do not establish individual risk or diagnosis. Read the original sources and limitations. Editorial review: 2026-10-06.
Citation
Imamura et al. · BMJ · 2015 · DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h3576
Study design
Evidence synthesis
Population
17 prospective cohorts; 38,253 diabetes cases over approximately 10.1 million person-years.
Geography
Multiple cohort populations; not a representative regional comparison
Finding
Higher sugar-sweetened drink intake was associated with higher type 2 diabetes incidence, including after adjustment for adiposity.
Estimate
Per extra serving/day: 13% higher relative incidence after adiposity adjustment (95% CI 6–21%).
Measured relationship
Beverage intake → incident diabetes. Adjustment for adiposity does not prove either direct causation or a single causal mechanism.
Limitations
Observational cohorts, substantial heterogeneity and possible residual confounding. Relative incidence is not an individual's absolute probability; artificial-sweetener results have different biases.