According to the National Institutes of Health Hispanic or Latino populations are at a higher risk of developing diabetes compared to their white counterparts. While the connection between diet and diabetes has been extensively studied the link between the gut microbiome and disease risk remains less understood noted Linda Van Horn PhD, RD, chief of Nutrition in the Department of Preventive Medicine and a co-author of the study.

Data shows that Americans, as a population consume excessive amounts of sugar beyond the U.S. dietary guidelines Van Horn stated. This study is particularly valuable for a population that tends to consume such foods.

In the study researchers analyzed the gut microbiome and self-reported sugary beverage intake of over 1,800 Hispanic or Latino individuals. They discovered that higher sugary drink consumption was associated with nine specific gut bacterial species including a reduction in short-chain-fatty-acid producers which previous research has shown are affected by excessive sugar intake.

These microbiome changes were linked to an increased risk of diabetes during the follow-up period according to the study.

This is a critical public health issue Van Horn remarked. The biological impacts of sugar-sweetened beverages are just starting to be understood. Even when these drinks are calorie-free consuming too many artificially sweetened beverages is still not the healthiest choice.

Source: https://news.feinberg.northwestern.edu/2025/04/22/sugary-drinks-linked-to-gut-bacteria-changes-and-diabetes/