According to recent research studies, consumption of artificially-sweetened diet beverages has been linked to increased risk of stroke and cerebrovascular disease, including dementia. This may come as a shock to some because diet sodas are often seen as the healthier option, when compared to regular sodas. The reality is that while these diet sodas have no calories, the artificial sweeteners can make you crave sugary, highly caloric foods, which ultimately makes you consume more calories than you intended.
Aspartame is the most commonly used artificial sweetener in diet sodas. It is 200-300 times sweeter than regular sugar. Aspartame is technically a neurotoxin, but the FDA has deemed it to be a food additive. But diet soda wouldn’t sell as well if the cans stated that there was a neurotoxin in the soda.
Researchers at Boston University found that aspartame is terrible for your arteries. The study, which they conducted, found that people who had one or more diet drinks a day were 2.9 times more likely to develop dementia and than those who did not consume diet sodas. Additionally, results showed that these diet soda consumers were three times more at risk of developing strokes.
Aside from this study, there has been a lot of research indicating the negative effects of diet soda consumption. These studies have shown that regular consumption can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke, all of which are predominantly due to poor diet. These people with poor diets tried to reverse the damage by consuming diet sodas, which ultimately worsened their health. Some researchers suggest, then, that the results may just be residual impact of diabetes and obesity.
What is interesting is how these diet sodas can alter your taste buds. Because artificial sweeteners are highly concentrated, people may find that naturally sweet foods like fruit are less appealing. Additionally, less-sweet foods like vegetables may be unpalatable for them. The fact that these sweeteners can make you avoid certain foods means that the body is missing out on a lot of nutrients, found in fruits and vegetables, which help protect against cerebrovascular and cardiovascular damage.
The bottom line is that you should avoid soda altogether. You may want to try making detox waters or consuming various teas in place of sodas. More research is still being conducted on the dangers of diet sodas. Based on current research, they are very dangerous to your health.
