Alternatives To Soda: Waterwater Water
So, what is worse forhealth, drinking regular sodas or dietalternatives? The simple solution is to simply cut out bothsugary soda drinks and diet soda altogether, and just drink water or otherlow-sugar alternatives. While this may seem easier said than done, thecountless benefits of drinking water regularly are quite motivating. Drinking water helps you lose weight, keeps youenergized, fights stress, regulates body temperature, boosts skin health, andsupports healthy digestion. The list of waters benefits go on and on.
If you are trying to reduce your intake of sugary drinks, here are a few heart-healthy recommendations to make water a little more exciting. Your heart and your body will thank you!
- Try sparkling water withzero sugar or additives, like La Croix, which gives you that zingy soda feelingwithout the negative side effects.
- Infuse water with freshfruits to give it a naturally sweetened flavor.
- Drink unsweetened iced teasand add lemon or mint for an extra kick.
To learn more about cardiovascular health and maintaining a heart-healthy diet, visit our team of experts at CVG today.
CATEGORIES
The Problem With Observing
If you’ve ever watched the show “Fringe,” you’re familiar with a group of characters called The Observers. The Observers know what’s going to happen in the future and what’s happened in the past. So, even if they are watching something tragic unfold in real time like a child dying, for example they are powerless to change it. They can only watch and observe.
Observational studies can tell us if there’s a connection between two thingsbut they can’t tell us if one thing necessarily causes the other.
In many cases, a link that researchers observe between two things is later found to be caused by an external thing that no one was accounting for. In the marijuana example, some researchers have suggested that people who deal with anxiety may simply be more likely to use cannabis than people who don’t. So instead of cannabis causing anxiety, what’s really going on is that people with anxiety are using more cannabis than people without it.
For the sweet drinks and brain health research, the scientists drew from a large set of observational data taken from thousands of people from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts who were initially recruited beginning back in the 1940s as part of a study designed to learn more about heart disease called the Framingham Heart Study. Over the past few decades and through multiple generations of people, the researchers have kept tabs on the health of these individuals.
Researchers Studied More Than 4 000 People Over 45 Who Had Filled Out Food Frequency Questionnaires And Had
Diet soda linked to dementia. This is the first time diet sodas have been linked to dementia although it s not that surprising says pase since stroke is a risk factor. The analysis adjusted for factors such as age. Diet soda and dementia.
But there s a lot more to the story. Those who drank diet soda were nearly three times as likely to experience strokes and dementia as people who skipped the diet soft drinks. Regular sugary soda and other soft drinks of course are even worse.
While diet sodas contain no sugar or calories they contain a science lab s worth of chemicals including dangerous no cal sweeteners and preservatives. What you need to know a recent study found that drinking even one diet soda a day may triple your risk for developing dementia. One chemical in colas phosphoric acid has been linked to bone loss while caramel color has been linked to cancer.
A new study links diet soft drinks to an increased risk for stroke and dementia. In 2017 research from the american heart association added a risk for dementia to that list of risks. The researchers found that the daily consumption of diet beverages but not sugary beverages was linked to a higher risk of stroke and dementia over the 10 year period.
The results were shocking. The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas have been shown to be a risk for many health concerns including heart conditions metabolic issues and obesity.
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The Recent Study In The Journal Stroke Has Some Major Caveats
By Seema Yasmin
4:43 PM on Apr 26, 2017 CDT
My family members are panicking about recent headlines claiming that diet sodas cause Alzheimer’s disease. While I would love for them to drink fewer sodas, I have to be honest: The headlines were misleading, and the new study they refer to has major caveats.
The study did not prove that artificial sweeteners cause stroke, Alzheimers disease or any type of dementia. In fact, this kind of study design cannot prove causation. To be fair, the authors were careful to say that the study was not able to prove cause and effect and only shows a trend among one group of people.
Many news articles didn’t reflect this.
The researchers studied nearly 2,000 men and women ages 45 and older for stroke and about 1,500 people over age 60 for dementia. They tracked how much and what kinds of soda the subjects were drinking and monitored their health for a decade.
The study determined that drinking sugary beverages was not associated with stroke or dementia. But it found that for people who drank one artificially sweetened soda a day, the risk of stroke or dementia was nearly three times higher than it was for people who consumed less than one diet soda a week.
The study published in the journal Stroke on April 20 included mostly white Americans, making it tricky to apply the results to people of color who have different genetic and social risk factors for stroke and dementia.
Liver Damage And Glutathione Depletion
A mouse study published in 2017 in Redox Biology reported, Chronic administration of aspartame caused liver injury as well as marked decreased hepatic levels of reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione, -glutamylcysteine, and most metabolites of the trans-sulphuration pathway39
A rat study published in 2017 in Nutrition Research found that, Subchronic intake of soft drink or aspartame substantially induced hyperglycemia and hypertriacylglycerolemia Several cytoarchitecture alterations were detected in the liver, including degeneration, infiltration, necrosis, and fibrosis, predominantly with aspartame. These data suggest that long-term intake of soft drink or aspartame-induced hepatic damage may be mediated by the induction of hyperglycemia, lipid accumulation, and oxidative stress with the involvement of adipocytokines.40
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No You Dont Need To Stop Drinking Diet Sodas
The recent study only showed a modest correlation with dementia and stroke. Even the lead author of the study has said it does not constitute a reason to avoid diet sodas. Its findings have not been confirmed by other studies, and the findings only showed correlation, not causation. More importantly:
There are a number of artificial sweeteners on the market. There is no credible evidence that any of them are harmful. There is good evidence that high sugar intake is harmful.
Diet Soda Linked To Dementia
Indeed a new study shows an association between diet soda and both stroke and dementia with people drinking diet soda daily being almost three times as likely to develop stroke and dementia as. 1 considering the potentially debilitating long term effects of both strokes and dementia those startling statistics should be a serious wake up call.
Pin On Soda Politics
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They’re Also Linked With Blood Cancers
Several unhealthy diet habits have been shown to increase the likelihood of cancer in some individuals.
Specifically, this report says a 2016 study called out the sweetener Sucralose because it had been shown to cause leukemia and other blood cancers in male mice.
For more food and wellness news, check out:
Diet Sodas Raise Risk Of Dementia And Stroke Study Finds
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 Alzheimers disease.
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.
And other experts pointed out that sugary drinks are a major cause of obesity, diabetes, stroke and other ills.
Related: Drinking Diet Soda May Just Make You Want to Eat More
And Americans have been encouraged to switch to diet drinks.
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Diet Sodas Linked To Stroke Dementia
A new study published in the American Health Association Stroke Journal report found drinking at least one artificially-sweetened beverage a day is associated with almost three times the risk of developing stroke or dementia compared to those who drank the beverages less than once a week. Researchers reviewed data from more than 4,200 people over the course of 17 years. And while researchers found a clear correlation between daily diet soda consumption and the risk of stroke or dementia, the press release states that the observational study was not intended or designed to prove cause and effect.
If you think ditching diet for regular soda is the solutionthink again, the study authors warn.
Although we did not find an association between stroke or dementia and the consumption of sugary drinks, this certainly does not mean they are a healthy option, said Matthew Pase, a senior fellow in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, in a news release. We recommend that people drink water on a regular basis instead of sugary or artificially sweetened beverages.
The Crucial Role Of Amyloid
Amyloid-beta is the substance that forms thefamous plaque that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimerspatients. It has been believed by many in the researchcommunity that amyloid-beta is the principal cause ofAlzheimers, and as a consequence, researchers are actively seekingdrugs that might destroy it. However, amyloid-beta has the uniquecapability of stimulating the production of an enzyme, lactatedehydrogenase, which promotes the breakdown of pyruvate into lactate, throughan anaerobic fermentation process, rejuvenating NAD+ and enablingthe further production of a substantial amount of ATP through additional glycolysis.
The lactate, in turn, can be utilized itself as an energy source by somecells, and it has been established that neurons are on the short listof cell types that can metabolize lactate. So I conjecture thatthe lactate is transported from the astrocyte to a neighboringneuron to enhance its energy supply, thus reducing its dependence onglucose. It is also known that apoE can signal the production ofamyloid-beta, but only under certain poorly understood environmentalconditions. I suggest those environmental triggers have to do withthe internal manufacture of fats and cholesterol as opposed to theextraction of these nutrients from the blood supply. I.e.,amyloid-beta is produced as a consequence of environmental oxidative stressdue to an inadequate supply of fats and cholesterol from the blood.
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Swordfish And Ahi Tuna
Most health experts are big fans of fish, but the kind they love is salmon and others that contain a healthy fat called omega-3 fatty acids. Swordfish, ahi tuna, and other big fish lose points because they tend to be high in mercury. Thats a neurotoxin meaning toxic to your brain that may lead to higher risk of memory loss and poorer thinking skills in older adults.
So Is Diet Soda Bad For You
The American Heart Association sums it up perfectly: You can drink diet sodas in moderation, but they dont give you any nutrition and shouldnt be used to excuse overindulging with other foods. Balance them with plain water and a variety of foods and beverages that are high in nutrients and low in added sugars.
While consuming lots of diet soda on a regular basis may put you at increased risk of a variety of health problems, including heart disease, dementia, depression, and weight gain, a little bit now and then is okay.
If youre looking for a truly healthy beverage, water is, of course, the best choice. Sparkling water and seltzer water will quench your carbonation cravings. Tea, coffee, and red wine also have health benefits. for tips on how to quit drinking diet soda.
This article was originally published in 2018. It is regularly updated.
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Diet Soda And 5 Other Foods That Cause Dementia
An unhealthy diet affects the brain. There are many foods that cause dementia. Consuming processed foods, complex carbohydrates, and sugar stimulates the production of toxins in the body. These toxins can result in a buildup of plaque in the brain, and cause inflammation.
How important is a healthy diet? We know it helps with good heart health, keeps blood pressure in control, helps lower the risk of cancer and diabetes, and keeps many illnesses at bay. One thing which you may not be aware of is that it also impacts your memory. A poor diet increases the chances of developing dementia and Alzheimers disease.
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Is Diet Soda Bad For You Well It’ll Never Be Confused For A Healthy Drink The Key Is To Keep Your Consumption Under Control
Is diet soda bad for you? Consider that weight gain, heart disease, depression, and dementia have all been linked to the consumption of popular low-calorie sodas.
Most of us who drink diet soda do so to save on calories. However, just because diet soda doesnt have any calories doesnt mean it has positive nutritional value. So is diet soda bad for you? It can be. Here are four reasons why consuming large quantities on a regular basis can be harmful.
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Drinking At Least One Diet Soda A Day Can Triple Your Stroke Risk Research Shows
Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine looked at the long-term health impact of drinking artificially sweetened beverages, publishing their results in 2017 in the journal Stroke. The researchers analyzed nearly 3,000 participants over the age of 45 for strokes over the course of 10 years, gauging their beverage intake through a food-frequency questionnaire. According to their findings, the participants who drank at least one diet soda a day were nearly twice as likely to have a strokethan those who didnt drink diet soda, but they were three times as likely to develop an ischemic stroke, in particular.
Our study provides further evidence to link consumption of artificially sweetened beverages with the risk of stroke, particularly ischemic stroke, the researchers said.
Diet Soda And Artificially Sweetened Drinks Linked To Strokes Heart Attacks Dementia And Diabetes Says Major Study
Todays thing that you love that turns out will kill you is *spins wheel* diet soda! Thats right, all this time you thought you were doing the right thing by cutting out sugars and calories out of your diet, it now turns out that diet soda and artificially sweetened drinks can increase dangerous health hazards such as strokes, heart attacks, dementia, and diabetes according to a major study.
A study by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association examined data from 81,714 women, ages 50 to 79, between 1993 and 1998. The study tracked the health and lifestyle of the participants for 12 years. The study found that women who consumed two or more artificially sweetened beverages such as diet soda each day were 31 percent more likely to have a clot-based stroke, 29 percent were more likely to have heart disease, and 16 percent were more likely to die from any cause than women who drank diet beverages such as artificially sweetened fruit juices less than once a week or not at all. The study adjusted the results for risk factors such as age, high blood pressure, and smoking.
The study found links of diet drinks with an increase in the risk of a stroke caused by a blocked artery, especially small arteries. The risks increased dramatically if the women were African-American and doubled for obese women.
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Do Artificial Sweeteners Cause Dementia
This is the first study to find a link between artificial sweeteners and dementia, mostly because this seems to be the first time researchers have looked for a connection between the two. I predict that this provocative finding will now prompt more researchers to ask the same question, which will shed a lot more light on the situation.
As it stands, the evidence that drinking diet soda may contribute to dementia risk is circumstantial, at best. This study simply observed that people who drink diet soda regularly are a lot more likely to eventually be diagnosed with Alzheimers disease or dementia.
However, further analysis found that those who drink diet soda are also more likely to be obese or have diabetes or heart disease. All of these conditions significantly increase your risk of developing Alzheimers disease. And if you are overweight or have diabetes, you might be more likely to drink diet soda because youre trying to reduce your sugar or calorie intake.
So the real question here is: Does drinking diet soda increase your risk of dementia any more than having diabetes or being overweight already does?
And sure enough, when the researchers adjusted the analysis to account for these other risk factors, the link between diet soda consumption and dementia essentially disappeared.
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