A major study found that drinking diet soda and other sugar-free alternatives is just as bad as regular sweetened drinks.
Researchers suggest that those who consumed sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened drinks were more likely to die young. The conclusion was drawn from the 1.2 million adults that patricipated in 14 studies.
Researchers of the said study also tracked some participants for more than 20 years, according to a Daily Mail report.
Consuming sugar-sweetened drinks was linked to a five percent increased risk of dying from any cause and a 13 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease. High consumption of both artificially sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages showed significant associations with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality, Dr. Hongyi Li from Zhenzhou University in China, was quoted in a report.