Sweetened Milk Drinks Under Fire

A new study in Diabetologia indicates, for the first time, a link between the consumption of sweetened milk drinks and type 2 diabetes, indicating that efforts to reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages should be extended to include milkshakes and flavored milk, say the researchers.

As well as the association between type 2 diabetes and sweetened milk drinks, the study also calculated that, for each 5% increase of a person's total energy intake provided by sweet drinks, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes may increase by 18%.

And replacing the daily consumption of one serving of a sugary drink with either water or unsweetened tea or coffee can lower the risk of developing diabetes by between 14% and 25%, the scientists stress.