You might as well start searching for the most affordable cremation services if you are to continue drinking 2 or more sugar-sweetened beverages like soda. This is according to a 12-year study published in the Heart journal involving more than 40,000 men between 45 and 79 years. The study indicated a 23% increase in the risk of developing heart failure for those taking soda two or more times a day.

The research analyzed food frequency in the men, comparing the answers they gave to the Cause of Death Register and Swedish National Patient Register to track the participants health. One of the study questions was the number of soft/sweetened soft drinks the men took in a day. Fruit juice was excluded in the definition of sweetened drink.

The study results indicated that men who drank more soft drinks in a day had an increased risk of developing heart failure. This cements the findings of another study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that concluded that sugary drinks increase the risks of Type 2 diabetes, heart attack, obesity and fatal heart disease. Another study that was published in June in the Journal of Hepatology found that taking just one or more sugary drinks a day increased the risk of developing fatty liver disease.

According to experts the high sugar content and the caramel coloring are probably to blame. That said, it is safe to say that the best thing you can do to your health is steer clear of soft drinks and sugared beverages. Water is the healthiest quencher to your thirst. It helps prevent water retention, rids the body off toxins, helps circulate oxygen in the body and regulates the body temperature. Fruit juice brings its nutritional benefits to the table in the form of minerals and vitamins but if you are to take it, try not to add sugar.

It also goes without saying that though the study was carried out on men, the same applies to women.