A new study suggests sugary sports drinks may be to blame for an increase in diabetes cases.

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco analyzed data on the intake of sugar-sweetened drinks and their effects on adults aged 35 and older between the years 1990 and 2000. They found that there were 130,000 fresh diabetes cases and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease associated with drinking sweetened beverages, like sports drinks.

"We can demonstrate an association between daily consumption of sugared beverages and diabetes risk and translate this information into estimates of the current diabetes and cardiovascular diseases that can be attributed to the rise in consumption of these drinks," said lead researcher Dr. Litsa Lambrakos. "We want to make the general public more aware of the adverse health outcomes of consuming these drinks over time and help support disease prevention and curb consumption of these drinks."

Exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy, balanced diet are among the best ways to prevent diabetes and control blood sugar levels naturally. Some studies have found that nutritional supplements containing chromium and cinnamon may benefit blood sugar control in diabetics.