The Study
Associations between artificial sweetener intake from cereals, coffee, and tea and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A genetic correlation, mediation, and mendelian randomization analysis
This study didn't make people drink sweeteners to see what happens. Instead, it looked at people's genes to guess who might like sweeteners more, and then checked if those people were more likely to get diabetes. It found a hint of a link, but it's not proof — it's like guessing someone's favorite food by their DNA and seeing if they got sick.
Analysis score
Maximum 0 for a computational/algorithm study.
Where the score came from
Scientists used people's genes to figure out if drinking coffee with fake sugar causes diabetes. They found that people with genes linked to adding more sweetener to coffee had a higher chance of getting diabetes.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 50 / 100
Quality score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1A 26% increased risk is meaningful — it’s like going from 10 in 100 people getting diabetes to 12.6 in 100, which could affect public health advice.
- 2People with genes for more sweetener in coffee had a 26% higher risk of diabetes.
- 3About 30% of this risk was linked to lower 'good' cholesterol (HDL-C).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
PLOS ONE
Year
2024
Authors
Youqian Zhang, Zitian Tang, Yong Shi, Lin Li
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who consume artificial sweeteners above the median intake level for their sex have a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes compared to those who consume less.
Among people of European ancestry, genetic patterns associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus are linked to higher consumption of artificial sweeteners in coffee, cereal, and tea.
In people of European ancestry, the amount of artificial sweetener consumed in coffee is linked to type 2 diabetes risk, and about 29.5% of this link is explained by changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Consuming artificial sweeteners in cereal or tea does not cause type 2 diabetes in people of European ancestry, based on statistical analysis that accounted for multiple comparisons.
In people of European ancestry, genetic markers indicating higher consumption of artificial sweeteners in coffee are linked to a 26% higher rate of type 2 diabetes, and this association is partly explained by lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
In individuals of European ancestry, higher consumption of artificial sweeteners in coffee, cereal, and tea is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.