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There are myriad reasons not to smoke. Yet the one that often seals the deal for people who quit, or simply swear off, cigarettes is the ageing effect they can have on the body. Premature wrinkles, skin damage… yeah, no thanks.

But even if you don’t smoke, there’s a good chance you have something in your fridge right now that could age you just as quickly.

A new study in the American Journal of Public Health has found an possible association between regular consumption of soft drinks and accelerated ageing of the cells. Just another thing to add to the already long list of adverse impacts Coke and friends can have on our bodies ( which you can read more about here).

Know what’s a healthier alternative to soft drink? Water. These delicious fruit-infused versions prove it doesn’t have to be boring:

The most delicious fruit waters

Cucumber, Orange and Strawberry.

Watermelon.

Lime and Strawberry.

Lemon and Berry.

Cucumber, Strawberry and Kiwifruit.

Orange and Strawberry.

Lemon and Herb.

Peach and Raspberry.

Lemon and Herb. Strawberry and Melon.

Pineapple and Herb.

Fruit salad.

Strawberry, Lime and Orange.

Strawberry, Herb and Lemon.

Lemon and Lime.

Lime, Orange and Strawberry.

Cucumber.

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A research team from the University of San Francisco examined the telomeres length of 5300 healthy adults. Telomeres are found at the end of chromosomes, acting as a sort of buffer, and naturally shrink with age; the smaller they become, the less ability a cell has to regenerate. Shortening telomeres have been associated with the ageing process, the development of various diseases, and mortality.

The study, which took place over 5 years, revealed those who habitually drank sugar-sweetened soda had shorter telomeres. As TIME reports, the people who had an 8 ounce daily serving – roughly 240mL – of soft drink had cells that were aged by 1.9 additional years. Drinking 20 ounces – just under 600mL – a day was linked to 4.6 years of extra ageing – according to the authors, this is equal to the association between telomere length and smoking.

Ooph.

So... who wants to break the bad news to Beyonce? (Image via Pepsi)

“We think we can get away with drinking lots of soda as long as we are not gaining weight, but this suggests that there is an invisible pathway that leads to accelerated ageing, regardless of weight,” senior study author Dr Elissa Epel told CBS San Francisco.

However, the authors note that this association doesn't necessary indicate causation; and that they only compared telomere length and soft drink consumption in each person at a single time point.

Interestingly, the study observed no significant association between telomere length and diet soft drinks or non-carbonated sugar-sweetened drinks. Fruit juice, on the other hand, appeared to be "marginally associated" with longer telomeres.

Are you a soft drink lover? Would you ever give up the habit?