Think before before you drink, scientists are warning, as your soda habit could quietly be killing you.

Just two sweetened beverages a day, including sodas and fruit juices, could see you lose 24 minutes of your life  according to research.

This means your drinking habit could take years off your life expectancy.

Say, for instance,  you start drinking soda around the age of five by the time you are 55 you could have lost almost a year off your life (304 days).

According to a report released by National Center for Health Statistics, around half of the US population over the [age of two] consumes two sugary drinks daily, on average.

 Researches say that added sugar is the problem with this concoction linked to various types of cancer, chronic kidney disease and heart disease . However, studies have shown that even artificial sweeteners can trigger similar health problems.

Scientists from the University of Michigan also looked at how different foods can lower your life expectancy.

The worst offending item turned out to be a hot dog, with each one shaving 36 minutes off your life.

Cured meats were found to be the second most damaging food, robbing you of 26 minutes after each grazing session, while breakfast egg sandwiches could cost you ten minutes per sub.

This means if you combined two sodas, with a hot dog and egg sandwich every day for a year, this killer combo could cost you around 18 days.

Throw in some cured meats on top and this would add another seven days, bringing the total to 25 days lost every year.

Other health-damaging products were shown to be bacon, which takes off six minutes of life, and cheeseburgers, which take off nine.

Commenting on the University of Michigan findings, leading food safety expert Dr Darin Detwiler told DailyMail.com: ‘This study reinforces that making small, consistent changes in beverage habits may add years to life expectancy and improve overall health.

‘Taking this study literally, a healthy 20 year old person – whose life expectancy may be 79 years – who starts drinking two sodas a day may, according to the study, lose three to four years of life due to the impacts of those drinks. ‘

The above graph shows the shift in additives in five food groups between 2001 and 2019.  Data is in mean additives per item

Dr Detwiler does however highlight that there are limitations to the study, as the results are ‘observational not scientific’ which means the findings ‘cannot definitively prove a cause-and-effect relationship’.

Despite this, he encourages people to take note of the findings and use them to adapt their diets appropriately.

Looking at the findings around sweetened beverages, he adds: ‘Cutting out soda or reducing consumption might extend life expectancy.

‘But one thing that is for sure, is that removing these sugary drinks will definitely improve your quality of life, including reducing risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.

‘This could also improve weight management and overall health.

‘Think of soft drink consumption as driving a car without regular maintenance.

‘While it doesn’t guarantee a breakdown, over time the likelihood of a serious problem increases, especially if combined with other unhealthy habits.

‘Perhaps this study could support public awareness campaigns about risks.

‘I could also see this as a driving force behind policies to reduce soft drink availability in schools and workplaces.’