Swapping ONE sugary drink for a cup of tea, coffee or water cuts risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 10%

Drinking one fewer sugary drink a day can cut the risk of diabetes by up to 10 percent, according to a new study. Researchers found that people who increase their consumption of soft drinks, as well as 100 percent fruit juices, were at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But swapping for diet sodas or artificially sweetened drinks did not lessen the risk, according to the findings published online by the journal Diabetes Care. The study is the first to look at whether long-term changes in drinking soft drinks are linked with type 2 diabetes risk. It's an often cited - and repeated - study finding, that drinking soda increases the risk of an early death. Yet as recently as 2012, nearly half of Americans drank the sweet beverages on a daily basis.  High sugar intake is bad for the body in a number of ways, fueling the development of obesity and, therefore, heart disease, as well as contributing substantially to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. An estimated 30.3 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and many more are at risk of developing the disease, which shortens life expectancy and may lead to additional chronic health problems later in life.