CITIZENS NEWS

Artificially sweetened drinks are secretly hurting your heart and brain

By joannewashburn // 2021-03-23

Soda drinkers beware: it turns out that drinking sweetened beverages like sodas is associated with a higher risk of stroke and dementia. That's what a team of researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine found after following roughly 2,900 participants for stroke and some 1,500 participants for dementia, a syndrome characterized by a marked decline in cognitive function, for 10 years. They measured participants' intake of sweetened drinks with a food-frequency questionnaire. In all, they found 97 cases of stroke and 81 cases of dementia at the end of the study. And when they adjusted for age, diet quality and physical activity, among several factors, they found that a higher intake of artificially sweetened soft drinks was linked to a greater risk of ischemic stroke, all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease dementia. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that shows drinking artificially sweetened beverages heightens your risk of developing health problems, which now include stroke and dementia.

10 adverse health effects from drinking soda

Sugar may be sweet. But the consequences of sugar consumption are not. Here's what frequently drinking soda and other sugary beverages can lead to, apart from stroke and dementia:

• Excess belly fat – Got belly fat? Blame your soda habit. Your body absorbs refined sugar in soda far too quickly, causing your blood sugar to spike and your body to make insulin in double time. This has the effect of converting that refined sugar into fat, most of which will end up around your waist area.
• Tooth decay – When you indulge in sweets and sugary drinks, oral bacteria feast on the sugars that end up coating your teeth. They erode precious tooth enamel in the process, which may eventually expose the nerves inside and cause sensitivity. So you could definitely lose teeth to cavities if you don't stop drinking sodas, soft drinks and the like.
• Diabetes – Not even drinking diet soda will save you from possibly developing diabetes. Sodas, whether "sugar-free" or not, can quickly raise your blood sugar levels. They are also associated with a great risk of diabetes.
• Joint pain – Many studies have shown a compelling link between soda consumption and joint pain due to arthritis. So if you often drink soda and suffer from joint pain, it's best to stop drinking the stuff.
• Poor gut health – Your gut houses trillions of bacteria that affect everything from digestion to immune health, so keeping them healthy by way of eating nutrient-dense foods is key to achieving good overall health. However, all that sugar in sodas doesn't give your gut bacteria much in the way of nutrition.
• Kidney problems – Research shows that regular soda drinkers face a greater risk of developing painful kidney stones.
• Dehydration – Drinking sodas don't count towards the eight glasses of water you need to drink every day. That's because most sodas contain caffeine, which makes you urinate more frequently.
• Insomnia – Blood sugar spikes can keep you up well into the night. So if you drink soda for dinner, you may find yourself tossing and turning several minutes after getting into bed.
• Heartburn – Carbonated drinks are among the main causes of heartburn. This happens when the acids in your stomach shooting back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest area.
• Depression – A sugar in sodas called fructose may react negatively with serotonin. This hormone helps stabilize your mood. Fructose damages the amino acids that accompany serotonin. This could drastically heighten your risk of developing mood disorders like depression.

Sugar-sweetened drinks don't seem so sweet when you consider their negative impact on your health. The good news is, it isn't too late to turn things around. Opt for fresh juices and teas and don't forget to drink water. Sources: AHAJournals.org EatThis.com

dementia Alzheimer's disease artificial sweeteners stroke sodas processed foods soft drinks badfood badhealth sweetened drinks