Drinking too many sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to excess weight gain and a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a recent review.

Researchers found that the daily consumption of beverages that contain added sugars in the form of high fructose corn syrup or table sugar (sucrose) are a source "of empty calories that causes various diseases of civilization such as diabetes and obesity, not to mention stroke," I4U reported. 

"Since we rarely consume fructose in isolation, the major source of fructose in the diet comes from fructose-containing sugars, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, in sugar-sweetened beverages," Frank Hu, lead investigator of the paper and professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a statement. "Our findings underscore the urgent need for public health strategies that reduce the consumption of these drinks."

For the study, researchers reviewed and analyzed data from recent epidemiological studies.

They found that consuming one or two servings a day was linked to as high as a 26 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a 35 percent greater risk of heart attack or fatal heart disease, and a 16 percent increased risk of stroke, The Standard Daily reported.

Sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, produced from corn starch, have been widely used in the United States as a low-cost alternative to sucrose in foods and beverages. While the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has decreased moderately in the past decade, they are still the single greatest source of added sugar intake in the American diet. In fact, half of the United States population consumes these types of drinks every day, with one in four getting at least 200 calories per day from them and 5 percent consuming more than 500 calories per day, which is the equivalent of four cans of soda.

"This is particularly concerning as the research shows that consuming one or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day has been linked to greater weight gain and obesity in numerous published studies," Hu said. "Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to weight gain because the liquid calories are not filling, and so people don't reduce their food intake at subsequent meals."

The findings are detailed in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.