This is how much Diet Coke you can drink before it could trigger diabetes

Five cans of Diet Coke could be enough to trigger diabetes (Photo: Shutterstock)

Studies examining the use of sweeteners in soft drinks indicate that drinking too much Diet Coke and other diet drinks could trigger diabetes.

Scientists from the University of Adelaide claim their research shows that sweeteners, such as aspartame, affects the good bacteria in your gut, potentially triggering diabetes.

However, the findings are disputed with others arguing the amount you would need to drink is too high to have any real impact.

What does the research say?

In 2017, researchers found that people who consumed an amount of sweeteners equivalent to 1.5 litres of diet soft drink left them unable to control blood sugar levels properly.

The capsules were taken three times a day for two weeks, reported The Sun, and were given in capsules to 29 people.

Stool samples from the participants were taken to check the type of microorganisms and whether their gut was affected by the sweeteners.