In a new study, the large-scale ongoing Framingham Heart Study has found that drinking more than one soft drink a day, whether regular or diet, may be linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease, via an increase in metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms such as excess waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) and high fasting glucose levels. Having three or more of the symptoms increases a person’s risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.