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Study: Sugary drinks, including fruit juice, linked to early death

The harmful health effects of too many sugar-packed drinks, like soda, are well documented.

Obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease are a few of the risks, but a new study examined the link between sugary drinks and mortality and found that not even 100 percent natural fruit juice is in the clear.

Excessive consumption of any sugary beverage, even natural fruit juice, was linked to an early death according to the results of a recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Researchers wanted to know how sugar-packed drinks, including natural fruit juices, are associated with our mortality. The team repurposed data from a study of more than 13,000 adults more than 45-years-old.

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They found that when sugary beverages make up 10 percent or more of a person's daily calorie intake, they're at a 44 percent greater risk of dying from coronary heart disease and a 14 percent greater risk of an early death due to any cause, compared to someone whose daily intake is made up of less than 5 percent sugary drinks.

It's one of the first studies of its kind to include 100 percent natural juice alongside soda and added-sugar beverages.

Critics point to weaknesses in the study, such as unreliable self-reported data about a patient's consumption habits. Others said studying more patients over a longer period would bolster the research.