ISLAMABAD: Health experts on Saturday advised people to avoid consumption of ‘soft drinks’ and increase intake of plain water during summer season as sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to different health conditions, including obesity, fatty liver and cardiovascular disease. “Soft drinks are harmful for health which contain calories and sugar, due to which the risk of diseases increases in summer”, health expert Khawaja Rafique talking to a private news channel warned the public. Soft drinks contain many deleterious chemicals that have been linked to systemic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney failure, cirrhosis, and cardiovascular disease among others, he mentioned. More and more intake of soft drinks can increase amount of fructose in the body thus puts pressure on our liver and later these fructose starts accumulating in the form of fatty cells which are harmful for health, he said, adding, water is always the healthiest beverage choice. They explained that intake of enough water every day is important to keep body functioning accurately as body needs more water when a person is in hot climate, physically active, suffering from fever, and having diarrhea or vomiting. Plain water intake is beneficial for a number of reasons, it helps lubricate joints, prevents kidney damage and regulates body temperature and blood pressure, he added. He asked public to drink plenty of water and fresh home made juices to wash out their kidneys, adding, people should not use substandard food items and drinks sold at roadside stalls as well. “Chat, pakoras, samosas and other fried items should be avoided, and homemade food should be prioritized to consume, he added. He suggested that sugar sweetened drinks such as fruits juices, vitamin style water, energy and sports drinks, should be avoided adding, rather encourage your children to eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of drinking juice.