Frequent Diet Soda Intake Linked to Fourfold Increased Dementia Risk

 Has your competent? doctor and hospital managed to remove ALL soda from the  hospital? Not just diet soda?

soda (11 posts to September 2011)

Frequent Diet Soda Intake Linked to Fourfold Increased Dementia Risk

Frequent consumption of diet soda has been tied to an increased risk for dementia, although the association may be mediated by certain physical conditions.

New findings from the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) showed a fourfold increased dementia risk among dementia-free individuals who consumed more than one diet soda per day. In addition, the increased risk was found in individuals who were White or Black but not Hispanic. 

However, after excluding participants with either diabetes or obesity, this association was no longer significant. 

“I think the takeaway message for clinicians is that we need more research to better understand the association of soda consumption with neurological health,” corresponding author Hannah Gardener, ScD, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, told Medscape Medical News.

Still, she added that the study adds to previous research showing that drinking diet soda “is not very healthy, and consuming more of it is not an effective way to decrease cardiometabolic risk,” Gardener said.

The findings were published online on January 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The History of the Soda-Dementia Link

Soda consumption is linked to vascular risk, but little is known about its potential association with dementia. 

A prospective 2017 study published in Stroke showed an increased incidence of both stroke and dementia among participants who consumed artificially sweetened beverages, including diet soda — but not among those who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages.

On the other hand, a meta-analysis published in 2022 showed a link between cognitive disorders and sugar-sweetened beverages — but not with artificially sweetened beverages. 

The investigators wanted to assess these associations in a population-based cohort, deciding to analyze data from the longitudinal NOMAS project.

The analysis included 947 adults without dementia at baseline. Participants at the start of the study had a mean age of 64 years; 59% were women, 64% Hispanic, 18% Black, and 16% White. 

A variation of the Block-National Cancer Center Institute food-frequency questionnaire was used to determine consumption of both regular and diet soda. Among participants, 4.8% consumed regular soda more than once per day, and 2.3% consumed diet soda more than once per day.

Dementia was diagnosed using neuropsychological and functional testing, with 20% of participants developing the condition over the follow-up period.

Reverse Causation?

Diet soda consumption was linked to a significantly increased risk for dementia, with an adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) of 1.39 per soda per day after accounting for demographic and vascular risk factors.

Those who consumed more than one diet soda per day had an even greater risk for dementia than those who drank one or fewer diet sodas per day (aIRR, 4.15; P = .001).

Diet soft drink consumption was also associated with a greater risk for dementia in non-Hispanic White and Black individuals but not in Hispanic individuals. 

Although the investigators had hypothesized that regular soda consumption would also be linked to increased risk for dementia, they found no significant association. Still, they did observe a “nonstatistically significant trend” (unadjusted P = .07).

Interestingly, sensitivity analyses showed that the link between higher consumption of diet soda and increased dementia risk “was not apparent after excluding those with obesity or diabetes, highlighting a potential for reverse causation,” the researchers reported.

“Further study is needed into the impacts of obesity and diabetes,” they added. 

Gardener noted that the study did not assess how long the participants had been drinking soft drinks, or whether or when they switched from regular sodas to diet versions.

“Were they increasing their consumption of diet sodas in an effort to control their metabolic risk factors — to consume fewer calories or to control their blood sugar? We really need more research to better understand if this association that we and other researchers have seen is causal,” she said.

No Definitive Answer

Commenting for Medscape Medical News, Matthew P. Pase, PhD, a professor of neurology in the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, said it was notable that the current findings closely resembled those from his 2017 Stroke paper, one of the first major studies to examine these associations, despite being conducted nearly nine years ago.

He also pointed out similar limitations in both papers, including the fact that consumption data were collected at the same timepoint and that it was difficult to tease out whether physical conditions, such as obesity and diabetes, may play a role in the diet soda-dementia association.

“It’s just a quick snapshot. We don’t know what these people were doing 5 or 10 or 30 years ago. It’s difficult to [assess] that, but I think that’s what’s needed in order to be able to really tease out the ‘chicken or the egg’ question,” he said. 

Pase added that it makes one wonder whether the association was only there because the individuals who drank diet drinks were already unhealthy

Overall, “I actually don’t think there’s a strong message yet for clinicians,” he said. 

If a patient raises the topic, “it might be best to say that the science is a bit mixed currently, and it makes it hard to make a conclusion one way or the other,” Pase said. 

Partial results were presented previously at the 2024 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

NOMAS was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute on Aging. One investigator reported receiving royalties from Wolters Kluwer, Inc. for a writing project on vascular dementia. Gardener, Pase, and the other investigators reported no relevant financial relationships.

Can Diet Soda Cause Stroke? Here’s What the Science Really Says About the Relationship Between Diet Soda and Stroke by Flint Rehab

 Oh, your incompetent? doctor didn't warn you about this years ago? So, your doctor doesn't follow research and is still employed? What gives? The board of directors is incompetent also?

diet soda (3 posts to January 2018)

Can Diet Soda Cause Stroke? Here’s What the Science Really Says About the Relationship Between Diet Soda and Stroke

Medically reviewed by Elizabeth Denslow, OTR/L — written by Flint Rehab.

Last updated on May 7, 2025

Grabbing a diet soda might feel like a healthier choice—zero calories, zero sugar, and all the fizz. But can that seemingly harmless can of diet soda actually raise your risk of having a stroke?

Surprisingly, research says… maybe.

In this article, we’ll unpack what the latest studies tell us about whether or not diet soda can cause a stroke—plus if it’s time to rethink your drink.

First, What Is Diet Soda?

Diet soda is a sugar-free soft drink that uses artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose to mimic the taste of regular soda. It’s marketed as a “healthier” alternative to sugary beverages, especially for those trying to lose weight or manage diabetes.

But here’s the twist: being low-calorie doesn’t always mean low-risk.

Reviewing the Research: Observing the Link Between Diet Soda and Stroke

Researchers followed over 120,000 people (yes, really!) for more than 20 years as part of two massive health studies:

• Nurses’ Health Study (women)
• Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (men)

They tracked participants’ soda habits and looked at how often they had strokes. The results were eye-opening:

• People who drank 1 or more diet sodas per day had a higher risk of stroke.
• The increased risk was stronger in women than men.
• The same trend was seen with regular, sugar-sweetened sodas too.

So, whether it was diet or regular soda, drinking more of it = higher stroke risk.

Diet Soda & Stroke Risk: What’s the Link?

When reviewing the link between diet soda and stroke risk, here’s what the study showed.

Stroke Risk from Daily Soda Consumption

• Diet soda – stroke risk increased by 16% overall (risk was higher in women)
• Regular soda – stroke risk increased by 16% overall

And when it comes to stroke types:

• Diet soda was more strongly linked to hemorrhagic strokes (bleeding in the brain).
• Regular soda was tied more to ischemic strokes (blood clots in the brain).
  

Although these studies and others demonstrate a link between diet soda and stroke, it is important to remember that the studies listed above were observational. This means that they observed trends, rather than directly testing for causation. Therefore, although it can be seen that drinking diet soda is correlated with an increased likelihood of having a stroke, diet soda intake may not necessarily cause a stroke.

Why Might Diet Soda Raise Stroke Risk?

Great question—and to be honest, even scientists aren’t totally sure yet. But here are a few possible explanations:

1. Reverse Causation

People with health issues like obesity or diabetes (already at higher stroke risk) may be more likely to choose diet drinks than those without health problems. This can make it look like the drinks are the problem, when actually the link is between pre-existing conditions and stroke.

2. Artificial Sweeteners

Some studies suggest artificial sweeteners might mess with blood sugar regulation or gut bacteria, both of which can affect overall health.

3. Chemical Additives

Certain caramel colorings and additives in soda may cause oxidative stress and inflammation, which is linked to stroke and heart disease.

What Happens When You Swap Soda for Something Else?

Good news! The same study looked at what happens when you replace soda with other drinks—and the results were encouraging:

• Decaf coffee – may reduce stroke risk by 10–13%
• Caffeinated coffee – may reduce risk by 9–11%
• Skim milk – linked to about an 11% lower risk
• Tea or orange juice – showed a trend toward reduced risk (though not statistically confirmed)

Water wasn’t statistically significant—but it’s still one of the healthiest choices overall.

So, Should You Stop Drinking Diet Soda?

You don’t have to toss your can in the trash right this second, but it might be worth cutting back—especially if you drink diet soda daily. The risk isn’t sky-high, but over time, those small effects can add up.

A few easy swaps to try:

• Switch your afternoon soda to an iced herbal tea
• Replace your morning diet soda with black coffee or sparkling water with fruit
• Add a splash of orange or lemon juice to still water for flavor

Common Questions

Is diet soda worse than regular soda?

Not really—they both show increased risk. The better option is to cut back on both and choose naturally low-calorie drinks.

Is one soda a day too much?

One a day might slightly raise your risk, but the bigger concern is long-term, habitual use.

What’s the healthiest drink for preventing stroke?

Based on the study: coffee, skim milk, and possibly tea or OJ—all performed better than soda. Other studies have linked red wine to a reduced stroke risk, when used in moderation (1 to at most 2 glasses per day).

Can drinking soda occasionally still be safe?

Yes—occasional consumption (once a week or less) wasn’t strongly linked to increased stroke risk in the study. Moderation is key.

Are flavored sparkling waters a good alternative?

Most unsweetened sparkling waters are a safe swap. Just check the label—some brands add artificial sweeteners, which may carry similar risks.

Do zero-sugar sodas have the same risk as diet sodas?

Zero-sugar sodas often use the same sweeteners as traditional diet sodas, so they likely carry similar risks. There’s no strong evidence showing they’re any safer.

What if I need caffeine but don’t like coffee?

Try unsweetened iced tea, matcha, or green tea. These offer caffeine without added sugar or artificial sweeteners—and may even offer heart health benefits.

How much soda is “too much”?

The study found that one or more sodas per day was linked to higher stroke risk. Cutting back to less than one per week may reduce your risk.

Is stroke the only health risk from soda?

No—soda (both diet and regular) has been linked to stroke risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Does this mean diet soda causes strokes?

Not directly. The studies show an association, not proof of causation. But the link is strong enough to recommend moderation and healthier swaps.

Final Thoughts: Is Diet Soda Dangerous?

Not exactly. But the evidence does suggest that regular consumption—more than one per day—could slightly increase your stroke risk, especially for women. The link is stronger for some stroke types than others, and more research is needed to figure out why.

In the meantime, staying hydrated with water, tea, or coffee (in moderation) is a smarter, safer choice for your long-term health.

Diet Sodas May Raise Risk of Dementia and Stroke, Study Finds

I dropped all sodas years ago.

Diet Sodas May Raise Risk of Dementia and Stroke, Study Finds

People who drink diet sodas daily have three times the risk of stroke and dementia compared to people who rarely drink them, researchers reported Thursday.

It’s yet another piece of evidence that diet drinks are not a healthy alternative to sugary drinks, and suggests that people need to limit both, doctors said.

Diet Sodas Raise Risk of Dementia and Stroke, Study Finds

April 20, 201701:38 

While the findings do not prove that diet drinks damage brains, they support other studies that show people who drink them frequently tend to have poorer health.

The researchers, led by Matthew Pase of the Boston University School of Medicine and colleagues, studied more than 4,000 people for their report, published in the journal Stroke.

“We found that those people who were consuming diet soda on a daily basis were three times as likely to develop both stroke and dementia within the next 10 years as compared to those who did not consume diet soda,” Pase told NBC News.

“Both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks may be hard on the brain."

“Our study provides further evidence to link consumption of artificially sweetened beverages with the risk of stroke,” the team wrote.

“To our knowledge, our study is the first to report an association between daily intake of artificially sweetened soft drink and an increased risk of both all-cause dementia and dementia because of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Related: WHO Urges Governments to Tax Sugary Drinks

The team did not ask people which artificial sweetener they used. Some of those in the diet drinks were likely saccharin, acesulfame, aspartame, neotame, or sucralose, the researchers said.

Mario Tama / Getty Images

To their surprise, the team did not find the same risk for sugar-sweetened beverages. But they found other troubling signs. “In our first study we found that those who more frequently consume sugary beverages such as fruit juices and sodas had greater evidence of accelerated brain aging such as overall smaller brain volumes, they had poorer memory function and they also had smaller hippocampus, which is an area of the brain important for memory consolidation,” Pase said.

And other experts pointed out that sugary drinks are a major cause of obesity, diabetes, stroke and other ills.

“Both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks may be hard on the brain,” Dr. Ralph Sacco, chairman of the neurology department at the University of Miami, and colleagues wrote in a commentary in the same journal.

Sacco, a former president of the American Heart Association, led another study that found women who drank diet sodas had a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and other types of heart death.

“Now with the growing number of studies that suggest a relationship between artificial sweetened beverages and vascular risk, I would say reach for a bottle of water before you reach for your artificial sweetened beverages,” Sacco told NBC News.

Drinking two or more diet beverages a day linked to high risk of stroke, heart attacks

And this reason to not do any type of soda:

Dementia Linked To Beverage Drunk By 50% Of People Every Day

  The latest here:

Drinking two or more diet beverages a day linked to high risk of stroke, heart attacks

(CNN)More bad news for diet soda lovers: Drinking two or more of any kind of artificially sweetened drinks a day is linked to an increased risk of clot-based strokes, heart attacks and early death in women over 50, according to a new study by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

The risks were highest for women with no history of heart disease or diabetes and women who were obese or African-American.

Nearly half of US adults have cardiovascular disease, study says

Previous research has shown a link between diet beverages and stroke, dementia, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes.

"This is another confirmatory study showing a relationship between artificially sweetened beverages and vascular risks. While we cannot show causation, this is a yellow flag to pay attention to these findings," said American Academy of Neurology President Dr. Ralph Sacco, who was not involved in the latest study.

"What is it about these diet drinks?" asked lead study author Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. "Is it something about the sweeteners? Are they doing something to our gut health and metabolism? These are questions we need answered."

Weight and race increased risk

More than 80,000 postmenopausal US women participating in the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term national study, were asked how often they drank one 12-fluid-ounce serving of diet beverage over the previous three months. Their health outcomes were tracked for an average of 11.9 years, Mossavar-Rahmani said.

After years of uncertainty, study finds statins can benefit all ages, including those over 75

"Previous studies have focused on the bigger picture of cardiovascular disease," she said. "Our study focused on the most common type of stroke, ischemic stroke and its subtypes, one of which was small-vessel blockage. The other interesting thing about our study is that we looked at who is more vulnerable."

After controlling for lifestyle factors, the study found that women who consumed two or more artificially sweetened beverages each day were 31% more likely to have a clot-based stroke, 29% more likely to have heart disease and 16% more likely to die from any cause than women who drank diet beverages less than once a week or not at all.

The analysis then looked at women with no history of heart disease and diabetes, which are key risk factors for stroke. The risks rose dramatically if those women were obese or African-American.

These are the hidden pitfalls of popular diets you just resolved to follow

"Women who, at the onset of our study, didn't have any heart disease or diabetes and were obese, were twice as likely to have a clot-based or ischemic stroke," Mossavar-Rahmani said.

There was no such stroke linkage to women who were of normal weight or overweight. Overweight is defined as having a body mass index of 25 to 30, while obesity is over 30.

"African-American women without a previous history of heart or diabetes were about four times as likely to have a clot-based stroke," Mossavar-Rahmani said, but that stroke risk didn't apply to white women.

"In white women, the risks were different," she said. "They were more 1.31% as likely to have coronary heart disease."

The study also looked at various subtypes of ischemic stroke, which doctors use to determine treatment and medication choices. They found that small-artery occlusion, a common type of stroke caused by blockage of the smallest arteries inside the brain, was nearly 2½ times more common in women who had no heart disease or diabetes but were heavy consumers of diet drinks.

This result held true regardless of race or weight.

Only an association

This study, as well as other research on the connection between diet beverages and vascular disease, is observational and cannot show cause and effect. That's a major limitation, researchers say, as it's impossible to determine whether the association is due to a specific artificial sweetener, a type of beverage or another hidden health issue.

"Postmenopausal women tend to have higher risk for vascular disease because they are lacking the protective effects of natural hormones," North Carolina cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell said, which could contribute to increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

"This association may also be contributed to by rising blood pressure and sugars that were not yet diagnosed as hypertension or diabetes but warranted weight loss," thus leading the women in the study to take up diet beverages, said Dr. Keri Peterson, medical advisor for the Calorie Control Council, an international association representing the low- and reduced-calorie food and beverage industry.

Does alkaline water live up to the hype?

Yet, said Sacco, who is also chairman of neurology at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, the more studies there are coming up with the same associations, "the more you begin to question. The more you begin to feel strongly about the association being real."

Critics also point to the possible benefit of artificially sweetened drinks for weight loss, a critical issue considering the epidemic of obesity in the United States and around the world.

For example, two World Health Organization meta-analyses of existing research on non-sugar sweetners called those studies "low-quality and "inconclusive," said William Dermody Jr., vice president of media and public affairs for the American Beverage Association, a trade organization.

"Low- and no-calorie sweeteners have been deemed safe by regulatory bodies around the world," Dermody said, "and there is a substantial body of research that shows these sweeteners are a useful tool for helping people reduce sugar consumption.

"We support the WHO's call for people to reduce sugar in their diets, and we are doing our part by creating innovative beverages with less sugar or zero sugar, clear calorie labeling, responsible marketing practices and smaller package sizes."

Dementia Linked To Beverage Drunk By 50% Of People Every Day

Only rarely do I ever drink a soda, it is coffee or wine all the time for the best benefits, sometimes  cranberry pomegranate juice. Beer is quite acceptable since at bars you never know how long ago that bottle of wine was opened. 
http://www.spring.org.uk/2017/04/beverage-dementia.php

Half of Americans use a drink linked to dementia on any given day.

Both sugary and artificially sweetened ‘diet’ drinks are linked to dementia by two new studies.

People who drink sugary beverages tend to have poorer memories, smaller brains and a smaller hippocampus (an area vital for learning and memory).

Diet sodas, though, don’t seem much safer.

A follow-up study found that people who drink diet sodas are three times more likely to develop dementia and stroke, compared to those who drink none.

Both studies show associations, so it doesn’t prove cause and effect.

Professor Sudha Seshadri, who led the research, said:

“These studies are not the be-all and end-all, but it’s strong data and a very strong suggestion.

It looks like there is not very much of an upside to having sugary drinks, and substituting the sugar with artificial sweeteners doesn’t seem to help.

Maybe good old-fashioned water is something we need to get used to.”

Excess sugar intake has long been linked to obesity, diabetes  and heart disease.

Its effect on the brain is more of an unknown (although what are the chances it’s going to be good for us?!)

More surprising is the link between diet sodas and dementia.

The researchers suggest it could be down to the artificial sweeteners used.

Sugar is toxic to the brain

This is certainly not the first study to link sugar intake with dementia.

A recent study linked excess sugar intake with Alzheimer’s disease.

It suggested that too much glucose (sugar) in the diet damages a vital enzyme which helps fight the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

High blood sugar levels have also been linked to memory problems.

The researchers in this study think that sugar could have a ‘toxic’ effect on the brain.

The studies were published in the journals Stroke and Alzheimer’s & Dementia (Pase et al., 2017; Pase et al., 2017).