Excessive consumption of sugary drinks is positively associated with type 2 diabetes, a new study has claimed.
An international team of researchers led by Cambridge University analysed the results of 17 observational studies, and found that habitual consumption of sugar sweetened drinks was positively associated with incidence of type 2 diabetes, independently of obesity status.
The researchers pointed out that the studies analysed were observational, so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect.
The researchers said that although more research on cause and effect needs to be carried out, this study indicated that the potential health gains that may be achieved by reducing the consumption of sugar sweetened drinks.
They also warned that neither artificially sweetened drinks nor fruit juice were suitable alternatives to sugar sweetened drinks for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
The findings are published in the online journal BMJ Open.
