Drinking this popular beverage increases your chances of dementia

Everything we put into our body has an effect. While some we are aware of (such as high cholesterol and processed foods that are bad for our hearts), there are foods and drinks that have surprising effects on our bodies that we would not be aware of if we did not study them. According to new research, there is a direct link between dementia and diet soda.

Dementia is a condition that affects over 3 million people each year, especially those over 65. While there is no surefire way to prevent them, memory and judgment loss can be curbed through exercise and a healthy diet – even if that means cutting out sugar-free beverages.

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The study, published in the journal Stroke, tracked 1,484 people over the age of 60 over a 10-year period. Subjects who drank artificially sweetened lemonade daily developed dementia significantly more often than subjects who drank it less than once a week. The former group also had more frequent strokes.

While the researchers insisted that the study did not imply causality, the trend was significant enough to investigate the phenomenon further and challenge the popular belief that diet sodas were healthier alternatives than other types of beverages.

Drinks are a significant source of stress for naturopaths. They are the number one source of added sugar in America. Although diet soda does not have the same amount of calories and sugar as regular soda, it is still a drink to be consumed in moderation and not an alternative to healthy drinks.

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Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and more that have been linked to a variety of medical conditions, including a negative impact on gut health, increased headaches, decreased heart health, and more. Diet drinks, while healthier than regular sodas, shouldn’t replace water, which should make up the majority of your drink consumption, no matter how boring that sounds.