Diet soft drinks are often seen as a healthy alternative to sugary sodas, but new research suggests that diet drinks increase cardiovascular complications. Researchers at the American College of Cardiology meetings in Washington, DC, presented findings from 60,000 volunteers in the Women’s Health Initiative. The women were followed for more than eight years.
Those who consumed diet drinks at least twice a day were 30 percent more likely to develop heart failure, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. They were 50 percent more likely to die from one of these vascular events.
This was not a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, so the investigators can say only that there is an association between diet drink consumption and heart attacks, not that the low-cal beverages caused the problems. But this is not the first study that has revealed such a link. A study published in 2012 demonstrated a 44 percent increased risk of stroke or heart attack among New Yorkers who consumed diet soda regularly.
[American College of Cardiology, March 28, 2014 Washington, DC]
We have interviewed Dr. Morando Soffritti of the Ramazzini Institute on the health hazards of aspartame uncovered through his long-term rat studies. You may wish to listen to our show on How Safe Are Sweeteners?
