People who drank the most sugar-sweetened drinks were 26% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and 20% more likely to develop metabolic syndrome — a series of pre-diabetic symptoms — according to researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health.

The Boston Globe reported Oct. 27 that an analysis of 11 previously published studies also estimated that drinking just one extra 12-ounce can of soda daily raised the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 15 percent. “There are a lot of factors that contribute to type 2 diabetes, but this is one modifiable factor that would be very easy for people to change,” noted researcher Vasanti Malik.

Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy at the American Beverage Association, said it was “overly simplistic, and simply misleading, to suggest that reducing or eliminating sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet will uniquely lower incidence of serious health conditions such as diabetes or metabolic syndrome.” But Mallik countered: “We’re not saying this is the only factor associated with diabetes, but it’s one [that] can really make an impact if it’s reduced.”

The research was published in the journal Diabetes Care..