Interestingly, the study by Pase and coworkers also found that diabetes mellitus, which is a known risk factor for dementia, was more prevalent in those who regularly consumed artificially sweetened soft drinks.
On the other hand, it should be pointed out that this was an observational study and therefore can not determine whether there is a causal relationship between artificially sweetened soft drink intake and diabetes and stroke or dementia.
However, the fact that those who consumed artificially sweetened soft drinks daily, but not those who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages, were approximately three times more likely to develop stroke or dementia is intriguing.
Yes, but if you read the study, it was "high consumption of artificially sweetened soft drinks." This wasn't just daily use, but many times a day of drinking soft drinks. Many people my age consume at least 3 cans of pop daily, if not more. Younger folks even more. Makes me glad I have a coffee habit. However, they did not include diabetics who did not consume soft drinks, but used artificial sweetener in other foods. So, how accurate is this anyway?
In my opinion, high consumption of artificial sweetener isn't so very good for your health. The original studies on the safety of the artificial sweeteners didn't consider the high usage individuals consume these substances. BUT, I do think they need better drawn data to see if there is actually a case for dementia or Alzheimer's.
I'm not one to favor artificial sweeteners, so I won't assume that sugar free soft drinks is the largest contributor to total artificial sweetener consumption. They do state that people with health issues are probably more likely to drink the diet drinks and that further study is needed. I would think, the same group drinking more artificially sweetened drinks would eat more artificially sweetened foods as well.
Association is not causation, so I don't know if one could say that the artificial sweeteners were the cause of increased risk with any confidence until clinical studies are done. I take away from what I've read, that I, as a diabetic, should probably stay away from artificially sweetened drinks. Sugary drinks is already a stay away from no-brainer for me.
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