Empty the diet drink; water is the safest option

The growing body of evidence suggesting that health drinks are bad for health comes from a boost from a new study by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association. The conclusion is that daily consumption of at least two types of artificially sweetened beverages is linked to an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and premature death in women over 50 years of age. Previous research has shown a link between dietary drinks and stroke. , dementia, type 2 diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes.
Compared to people who never touch them, the risk of premature death is 16% higher for those who consume dietary drinks. The research, published in the journal Stroke, included data from 81,714 postmenopausal women (aged 50 to 79 at the start of the study) and followed for an average of 12 years. One serving of dietary drink was 12 ounces (about 355 ml).
Dr. Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, senior author of the study at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY, said: "Many well-meaning people, especially those who do overweight or obese, drink sugary low calorie drinks in their diet. Our research and other observational studies have shown that artificially sweetened beverages may not be innocuous and that high consumption is badociated with a higher risk of stroke and heart disease . "
More than 80,000 post-menopausal Americans attending the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term national study, were asked how often they had drunk a 12-ounce serving of dietetic beverage in the previous three months. Their health outcomes were followed for an average of 11.9 years. While previous studies have focused on the more general picture of cardiovascular disease, the newly published study focused on the most common type of stroke, ischemic stroke, and its subtypes, one of which was small blockage. vessels. After taking lifestyle factors into account, the study found that women who ate at least two sweetened beverages each day were 31% more likely to have a clot stroke, 29% more likely to have heart disease and 16% more likely to die. than women who drank diet drinks less than once a week or not at all.
The badysis then focused on women with no history of heart disease and diabetes, who are key risk factors for stroke. African-American women with no history of heart disease or diabetes were about four times more likely to have a clot-based stroke. White women were 1.3% more likely to have coronary artery disease. The study also examined various subtypes of ischemic stroke, which doctors use to determine treatment and drug choices. They discovered that occlusion of the small artery, a common type of stroke caused by blockage of the smaller arteries of the brain, was nearly two and a half times more common in women who n & # 39; Had no heart disease or diabetes but who consumed many dietary drinks.
Dr. Rachel Johnson, professor of nutrition emeritus at the University of Vermont, said the study adds that limiting the use of dietary drinks is the most prudent thing to do for health. The American Heart Association said that water is the best drink without calories. Another study warned that drinks can increase the risk of diabetes.
The safest option is to drink water, that goes without saying.