The Common Soda That Triples Your Risk Of Stroke, According To Research
Time to switch to tea.
Stockbusters | Canva Put the Diet Coke down. I repeat, put the Diet Coke down! You’re probably aware that drinking soda is bad for you, but your choice to go on a diet isn’t much better. Sure, diet soda is marketed to have no calories or sugar, but what exactly is it that you’re drinking? It’s carbonated syrup with artificial, mystery ingredients.
Drinking diet soda triples your risk of stroke, according to research.
Why are people drinking diet soda in the first place? It has absolutely no nutritional value, right? I don't even taste a difference between diet and regular soda, which is a little scary because it feels like they add so much more to compensate for it being diet when it's much more harmful to you.
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But people drink their diet soda despite the lack of sense that it makes to do so. And these people, it turns out, are three times more likely to suffer from a stroke and dementia. That's right, dementia has been linked to diet soda.
According to research from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, drinking just one diet drink a day can triple the chances of a deadly stroke. Researchers have also found links to dementia but British authorities say that it needs further investigation.
This US-based study found that people who consume only one diet drink per day triple their chances of suffering from the most commonly occurring stroke compared to people who don’t consume any diet drinks.
It turns out that they are also 2.9 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. When looking further into the dementia argument though, researchers found that the data was insignificant. Researchers from BU looked at over ten years of data on over 4,000 people.
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Spokesman Tam Fry said regarding soda assessment: “Don’t be fooled by the use of the word ‘diet.’” However, a professor from Public Health England, Louis Levy, said, “This study doesn’t show the full picture and more evidence is needed before any definite conclusions can be drawn.”
Dr. James Pickett from the Alzheimer’s Society said, “This research does not show that artificially sweetened drinks cause dementia. But it does highlight a worrying association that requires further investigation.”
Diet drinks are just bad all around. Besides these deadly diseases, they are also known to cause weight gain, diabetes, and heart issues. If you drink a lot of soda, especially diet, it might be time to make a life change and start to get healthy.
Skip the diet stuff, and opt for water or tea. Research tells us that drinking water can help clear your skin, support digestion, and increase cognitive function.
Shannon Ullman is a writer who focuses on travel and adventure, women's health, pop culture, and relationships. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, MSN, and Matador Network.