Soft drink consumption has been repeatedly implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Interestingly, epidemiology studies have yielded inconsistent results. Some studies identify sugar-sweetened beverages as the culprit, whereas others point towards artificially-sweetened beverages. Beyond differences in methodology, these conflicting reports raise the question whether another ingredient common to both sugar and artificially-sweetened soft drinks, such as a preservative, might play a role.