St Pauls: Drinking carbonated diet drinks is linked with metabolic disorders, researchers at the University of Minnesota have concluded.

Metabolic syndrome is an increase in risk factors toward cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This includes a larger waistline, high blood pressure and higher levels of fats found in the blood.

The research which took over nine years and examined data on 10,000 individuals.

The study showed that people who drank one can of diet soda every day were 34 percent more likely to develop metabolic syndrome, but those who drank one can of regular soda were only 10 percent more likely to develop it.

Does this new information cause people to want to steer clear of carbonated diet drink?

The researchers say more research is required to establish the link with diet drinks.