DRINKING a can of sugary fizzy juice every day hugely increases women's risk of developing diabetes, according to new research.

Women who drank at least one sugar-sweetened soft drink every day were 85% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, the study found.

However, participants who stuck to artificially-sweetened juice suffered no higher risk of diabetes and tended to lose weight.

Matthias Schulze, author of the research, said rapidly absorbable sugar in soft drinks might particularly contribute to obesity and diabetes.

The findings of the research emerged yesterday, just days after a survey of 35 developed nations found Scottish children drink more fizzy drinks than young people in Europe or North America.

The average Scot is said to consume 595 cans each year, more than double the amount drunk 20 years ago.

Mr Schulze said that, in addition to the excess calories in fizzy drinks, the large quantity of rapidly absorbable sugars they contained could contribute to obesity and a greater risk of diabetes.

He said: ''It's not that sugar everywhere is important, but it seems that sugar specifically in liquid foods may be relevant.''

More than 91,000 women were tracked over an eight-year period for the research which was part of the Nurses Health Study at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

According to the findings, the women most prone to gaining weight had increased their consumption of sugary soft drinks from fewer than one a week to more than one a day.

Those women gained an average of nine to 10lb in four years. Women who cut their intake of soft drinks gained an average of three pounds or less.

The women who had increased their intake were also 85% more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the study concluded.

Drinks manufacturers immediately disputed the results of the study.

The National Soft Drink Association in America labelled the study unconvincing and inconclusive, saying it had not been reviewed by other scientists, but it is a further blow to the industry.

A recent study in Britain found that schools which discouraged drinking sugary soft drinks recorded a fall in obesity among children.

Research presented at an American conference last month found a ''very significant correlation'' between the growth in popularity of carbonated drinks and cancer of the oesophagus.

Mike Jacobsen, executive director for the Centre for Science in the Public Interest consumer advocacy group which is based in the US, said: ''It provides ammunition for education efforts, labelling changes and restricting soft drink consumption in schools.''

Pressure for similar changes has been growing in Scotland and the UK.

Artificial sweeteners, al-though associated with weight loss, have also been linked with other health scares.

Aspartame - or NutraSweet - was investigated amid claims it was linked with brain cancer but the Food Standards Agency ruled it was safe.

There are legal limits on the levels of saccharin that may be used in soft drinks.