A 2012 study found that daily drinkers of diet soda who were, on average, 69 years old had a 43% higher chance of heart attack, stroke or dying as a result of blood vessel problems.A 2015 BMJ review of studies also found that a single daily serving of diet soda boosted the chance of diabetes by 8%.Also in 2014, a review of several studies, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, revealed that people who drink diet sodas raise their risk of type 2 diabetes by about 13% for each 12-ounce can they drink each day.In 2014, a study reported that overweight and obese people who drank diet sodas ate between 90 and 200 more calories of food per day than those who drank regular sodas.(The FDA has approved six for use in drinks and food.) Like Pase’s study, they could not show whether diet soft drinks were to blame. Other studies have also tied health concerns to diet soda broadly rather than to specific artificial sweeteners. Do diet sodas cause health problems like stroke and dementia? Or do people who have higher chances of getting such health problems choose to drink diet soda, perhaps to try to cut sugar and calories in their diets? Pase can’t say. Pase also makes clear that his study’s results, published in April in the journal Stroke, don’t explain the link. “I don’t think that people should be alarmed.” “At the end of the day, we’re talking about small numbers of people,” says Pase. Only 81, or 5%, of the people in the study were diagnosed with dementia, and only 97, or 3%, had a stroke.

Scary, right? Not necessarily, says Pase.

They did the same for nearly 1,500 American adults over 60 to determine how many developed dementia.Īfter accounting for a variety of things that could influence their health, such as age, physical activity, and waist size, the researchers found that diet soda drinkers nearly tripled their odds of stroke and dementia, compared with those who drank no diet soda. Diet Soda, Dementia and Strokeīoston University researcher Matthew Pase, PhD, and colleagues examined 10 years of health information from nearly 3,000 American adults over 45 to count the number who had a stroke. Many questions must be answered before we’ll know whether diet soda raises your chance of health problems. That may sound worrisome, but experts say you don’t need to clear the diet drinks out of your fridge just yet. Most recently, headlines sounded alarms about a higher chance of dementia and stroke among diet soda drinkers. Numerous studies over the past several years have reported links between diet soda and weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, and other health issues. Check out these 15 delicious drinks that make it easier to quit soda.- About one in five Americans drinks diet soda every day, according to the CDC. We're here to help you kick your habit to the curb. Just be sure to put some nutrient-dense foods in its place so you don't feel deprived.'Īs your body gets more accustomed to real food and drinks instead of the artificial stuff, 'the chances of you still craving that artificial sweetness will be greatly diminished,' Whittel adds. But the good news is that you will feel better once that addiction is broken. 'Most people can expect to go through a withdrawal period when you feel worse before you feel better. 'Any decrease in diet soda and artificial sweeteners is going to be good for your health,' Whittel says. You don't need to go sans soda all at once, either.

If it's the bubbles you are after, a flavored seltzer may be a great option, or mix a little juice into a plain seltzer to get the bubbles and the sugar,' Werner says.

Try replacing one soft drink per day with a seltzer or flavored water. Even if you're not a pack-a-day diet soda drinker, quitting cold turkey can be a challenge. 'Cutting back can be a great solution.

Diet coke caffeine