An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A sugary soda a day raises the risk of diabetes 22 percent, new study finds.

A large European study published Wednesday found that consuming just one sugary soda per day raises the risk of type two diabetes by 22 percent, as compared with consuming one sugary soda per month or less.

Every 12 fluid ounces (34 ml) consumed led to an additional 22 percent risk, according to the study, which included 350,000 people across eight European countries.

"Given the increase in sweet beverage consumption in Europe, clear messages on the unhealthy effect of these drinks should be given to the population," said Dora Romaguera, who led the study at Imperial College London.

The findings echo those of similsr studies performed in the United States.

Writing in the journal Diabetologia, researchers stated that the study "corroborates the association between increased incidence of Type-2 diabetes and high consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks in European adults."

Sugary sodas are the largest source of empty calories and processed sugar in the American and European diet, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Patrick Wolfe, a statistics expert at the University of College London, commented, "The bottom line is that sugary soft drinks are not good for you - they have no nutritional value and there is evidence that drinking them every day can increase your relative risk for type 2 diabetes."