A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine looked at the association between sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drink consumption and subsequent total cause-specific mortality.

The scientists studied 451,743 European subjects in 10 countries between 1992 and 2000. Outcomes studied were the total mortality and cause-specific mortality rates.

The researchers found a 17 percent higher all-cause mortality for the participants who consumed two or more glasses of soda per day. Interestingly, sugar-sweetened sodas had an 8 percent increase risk, while artificially sweetened drinks had a 26 percent increased mortality risk.

They also found that drinking at least two glasses per day of artificially sweetened sodas versus less than one glass per month led to a 52 percent increase risk in death from circulatory ailments such as heart disease and stroke. Drinking at least one glass per day of sugar-sweetened sodas versus less than one glass per month resulted in a 59 percent increase risk of death from digestive diseases.

I cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining hydration. Most people live their lives in a state of chronic dehydration.

Drinking soda depletes the body of water. It also increases the risk for many chronic illnesses, including arthritis and diabetes, as well as eye problems.

Many people have the mistaken belief that diet soda is a better choice than sugar-sweetened products. That simply is not true. Artificially sweetened sodas are also associated with an increased risk of diabetes, autoimmune illnesses, and cancer.

The bottom line: Drink water to maintain optimal hydration. Avoid drinking sodas.