Study results support the theory that Medicaid expansion should improve food and beverage choices for low-income households.  (Photo: Shutterstock)

Households that benefited from the expansion of Medicaid switched from sugary drinks and increased their consumption of diet soda and water, according to a new study in Health Economics.

"Households in expansion states significantly increased their purchase of diet soda and bottled water," Xi He, a post-doctoral researcher at the Iowa State University and co-author of the study told UConn Today. "There was no change in purchase of regular soda. But overall, these results indicate that Medicaid expansion, in states that did expand, shifted people's purchases to products with less sugar." There was also no effect on the purchase of non-diet carbonated drinks, fruit juice, milk or tea, the study found.