Just one can of Diet Coke a day could have this impact on your health

Soda has been linked to yet another health problem and diet drinkers will want to take note.

New research presented during the United European Gastroenterology Week conference in Berlin found that as little as 9 ounces of regular soda per day can increase the risk of metabolic dysfunction connected to steatotic liver disease (MASLD) by 50 percent. The same amount of diet soda can increase the risk of the same condition by 60 percent.

A typical can of soda is 12 ounces.

In the past, MASLD was known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Much like typical fatty liver disease, MASLD causes fat to accumulate in the liver. It is the world's most common form of liver disease, according to USA TODAY.

MASLD can damage the liver and lead to severe scarring and cirrhosis.

“Our study shows that (low- or non-sugar-sweetened beverages) were actually linked to a higher risk of MASLD, even at modest intake levels such as a single can per day," according to the study's lead author, Lihe Liu, a graduate student at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou, China.

Researchers have long warned that drinking soda can cause health problems. Carbon dioxide gas is used to make sodas bubbly, but the gas can also upset gut health. Sodas that use artificial sweeteners, like high-fructose corn syrup, can also contribute to health problems.

"Your body processes them similarly, but fructose is primarily metabolized in the liver. When consumed in excess, especially from sugary drinks and other concentrated sources, fructose can promote fat accumulation in the liver, a key contributor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease," Dr Wesley McWhorter, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, previously told USA TODAY.

Soda companies, such as Coca-Cola, have faced scrutiny in recent years. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is pushing to eliminate artificial dyes — which are used in most sodas — and in July pressured Coca-Cola to use cane sugar in its American products, much to the chagrin of American corn farmers.

Drinking diet doesn't let one dodge the health issues associated with soda.

“[Sugar-sweetened beverages] have long been under scrutiny, while their ‘diet’ alternatives are often seen as the healthier choice. Both, however, are widely consumed and their effects on liver health have not been well understood," Liu, the study author, said in a statement.

For regular soda drinkers who want to lower their risk of developing liver problems, there is a simple and very direct solution — drink more water.

Researchers found that swapping out soda for water helped to overall decrease the risk for MASLD.

All that said, further data will need to be collected before anything can be said for certain regarding soda’s impact on liver health. The study does not say that sodas cause liver problems, only that it can increase the risk of problems.

The research also has yet to be peer-reviewed, and participants in the study self-reported their beverage consumption, meaning the data they provided is only as strong as their honesty and ability to record their consumption habits.

The study authors plans to continue pursuing their research to better understand soda's impact on liver health.

“The next step is to complete and submit the full manuscript for peer review and publication, which will allow the scientific community to scrutinize and build upon our findings," Liu told Medical News Today. "Looking ahead, more research is needed to clarify the biological mechanisms linking artificially sweetened beverages to liver disease, and to explore whether different types of sweeteners carry different risks."