Soft drinks, including sugar-free, linked to increased risk of early death

Drink more water, say experts as they argue study proves need for curbs on consumption

People who regularly consume soft drinks have a higher risk of an early death, researchers have found, with the trend seen for both sugared and artificially sweetened drinks.

While experts say the study cannot prove soft drinks are a driver of an increased risk of death, they say the work - which is the largest study of its kind - supports recent public health efforts to reduce consumption of soft drinks, such as the UK's sugar tax.