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New Study Links Diet Soda to Higher Risk of Stroke
Soda is one of the worst beverages you can consume. Numerous studies have linked soda consumption to serious health complications. The latest research, which has not yet been published, suggests that diet soda can increase your risk of stroke.
The controversial study was conducted by University of Miami researchers and was recently presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2011.
Researchers followed more than 1,000 volunteers for over nine years. About 900 of them said they did not consume any diet soda, while about 160 drank one or more diet sodas daily.
At the end of the study, diet soda consumption and salt intake were linked to higher rates of strokes, heart attacks, and other deadly vascular conditions.
“Diet soda is not an optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages, and may be associated with a greater risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death than regular soda,” said epidemiologist Hannah Gardener, one of the researchers.
Other Reasons Why You Should Quit Drinking Soda
Skeptics point out that that the participants voluntarily reported how much diet soda they consumed, meaning the results don’t come from a controlled setting.
Dr. Joseph Mercola believes that more research needs to be conducted to confirm this potential link to stroke. What doesn’t need further confirmation is the fact that soda should not be consumed regularly.
Diet soda contains the artificial sweetener aspartame, which accounts for more than 75 percent of adverse reactions to food additives reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These side effects include abdominal pain, anxiety attacks, asthma, depression, fatigue, headaches, sleep problems, and vision impairment.
Regular soda, on the other hand, is sweetened by high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the leading source of calories in the U.S. HFCS causes elevates insulin levels that are associated with nearly all chronic diseases, including arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and premature aging, Dr. Mercola warns.
The research is telling you to stop drinking soda of any kind. This is easier said than done, but it will help you take control of your health.
Make pure water your beverage of choice. Try adding several drops of lemon or lime to sparkling mineral water whenever you “crave the fizz.” Turbo Tapping, a clever application of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), can help you beat sugar addiction.
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Tags: artificial sweeteners, aspartame, diet soda, Dr. Joseph Mercola
