The Impact of Sugary and Artificially Sweetened Beverages on Liver Health

A recent study presented at the European Digestive Diseases Week 2025 analyzed the impact of consuming sugar-sweetened and alternative beverages on liver health. The study followed 123,788 adults from the UK Biobank who showed no signs of liver disease at the start of the study.

Risks of Consuming Sugary and Alternative Beverages

The study found that consuming more than 250 grams of any type of beverage daily increases the risk of developing metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD). The likelihood of developing these diseases increased by 60% for those consuming artificially sweetened beverages and by 50% for those drinking sugar-sweetened beverages.

Over an average follow-up period of 10.3 years, 1,178 participants developed the disease, and 108 died from liver-related causes. While sugar-sweetened beverages were not significantly linked to increased liver-related mortality, the consumption of alternative beverages was.

Potential Biological Causes

Lead researcher Lihe Liu explained that sugar-sweetened beverages can cause rapid increases in blood glucose and insulin levels, promoting weight gain and increased uric acid levels, all of which contribute to fat accumulation in the liver.

As for alternative beverages, they may affect liver health by altering the gut microbiome, disrupting satiety, increasing cravings for sweets, and even stimulating insulin secretion.

The Importance of Reducing Sweetened Beverage Consumption

The authors emphasized that the findings support the need to limit the consumption of both sugar-sweetened and alternative beverages as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy targeting not only liver diseases but also cardiovascular and renal metabolic health.

The study showed that replacing any of these beverages with water significantly reduces the risk of developing fatty liver disease, by 12.8% for sugar-sweetened beverages and 15.2% for alternative beverages.

Conclusion

This study represents an important step in understanding the impact of sugar-sweetened and alternative beverages on liver health. The results suggest that both types of beverages can contribute to an increased risk of liver diseases, prompting a reconsideration of their consumption. It is recommended to limit these beverages and replace them with water to maintain liver health and prevent fat accumulation.