Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TWO DIET DRINKS A DAY STROKE FEAR
Women who have too many of the fizzy cans put themselves in danger group
ENJOYING just two diet drinks a day could put women more at risk of a stroke or heart disease.
Experts who tracked the health of 81,714 females also linked the products to early deaths from any cause.
One doctor said: “Artificially sweetened beverages may not be harmless.”
WOMEN who consume two or more diet drinks a day are at a 23% higher risk of a stroke and 16% more likely to die early, research suggests.
Their risk of heart disease was also 29% higher compared to those who drank artificially sweetened drinks less than once a week or not at all. The study involved 81,714 women aged 50 to 79 who were tracked for about 12 years. One serving was 355ml – slightly more than a can.
Lead author Dr Yasmin Mossavar-rahmani, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, stressed the research found a link to health problems but could not prove diet drinks were the cause. It also did not look at specific sweeteners.
However, she said: “Many wellmeaning people, especially those who are overweight, drink lowcalorie sweetened drinks to cut calories in their diet. Our research and other observational studies have shown that artificially sweetened beverages may not be harmless.”
The study was published in journal Stroke. Experts suggested water is the best choice for a low-calorie drink.