Diet Drinks May Not Be So ‘Diet’ After All
On average, one-fifth of daily energy intake for UK adults is from sugar [1]. Not only does this affect dental health, but sugar consumption is associated with increased risk of obesity. One 330ml can of cola can contain more than the recommended daily intake of sugar, with few additional nutrients [2] , therefore the government consider sugar sweetened beverages to be of high priority to public health. The ‘soft drink industry levy’ is driving reformulation by businesses, using artificial sweeteners to mimic the taste and mouthfeel of beverages, yet offer a healthier alternative. A recent study by Huang et al. reported a positive association between consumption of both sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages and risk of diabetes [3] . After discussing these findings within wider research, it has been concluded that reducing consumption of sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages may lower risk of diabetes and obesity, and that they should be replaced with