Consumption of as much as two fruit juices a day could increase the risk of diabetes in African-American women by almost a third, a new study suggests.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, tracked 43,000 participants in the Black Women's Health Study for a decade to find out how drinking patterns affected diabetes risk. Women who had fruit drinks including Kool- Aid, fruit punch, Snapple and juices were 31 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not.

The risk was raised to 24 percent in those who had at least two regular soft drinks compared to those who consumed less than one a month. It is thought that the weight gain linked to drinking high-calorie drinks was a major factor in the higher risk.

Also, both fruit drinks and soft drinks are high in calories and don't make people feel full, which may lead them to over-indulge in foods resulting to weight gain. Diet soft drinks, grapefruit and orange juice were not linked to type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, about 24 million Americans, or 8 percent of the population, have diabetes, and more than 170 million people worldwide have the disease. About 90 percent of patients have the type 2 form linked to being overweight and inactive.