This post was written by Katie Edwards, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, Surgical-Trauma ICU and Wound Care Education.
If you’re trying to cut calories, reaching for a diet soda seems like a smart strategy. But not so fast. Studies have found that the long-term consumption of these drinks can drastically affect your vascular system, which can put you at a much greater risk for a severe cardiovascular or neurological event.
The risks
For both men and women, consumption of artificially sweetened beverages can lead to vasoconstriction and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke [1]. In the U.S., postmenopausal women who regularly consume artificially sweetened beverages have increased risk of ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease [2]. It is also noted that in general, sugary beverages and artificially sweetened beverages can lead to increased risk of stroke [3].
In fact, both sugar and artificially sweetened beverages have demonstrated an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, like hypertension. They can also lead to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
The American Heart Association is expanding their studies of the long-term health effects from consuming these beverages and the impact of the American diet and lifestyle, which are also a huge part of the issue. Many adults may not be able to completely cut these beverages out of their diet [4].
What to avoid
Aside from diet and regular soda, harmful sweeteners can be found in fruit juice and sports drinks, as well as sweetened teas.
Read beverage labels and look for the following:
- high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- sucrose
- fruit juice concentrates
- saccharin
- acesulfame-potassium
- stevia
Saccharin, acesulfame-potassium and stevia have been associated with weight gain and impaired glucose. If an individual reaches an unhealthy body weight, it can mean even more trouble, as obesity increases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes [2].
The more we learn, the more informed consumers can become. This can lead to better beverage choices for improved well-being.
Sources
1. Malik, V., Li, Y., Koning, L., Schernhammer, E. Willett, W., and Hu, F. (2019). Long-term consumption of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages and risk of mortality in US adults. Circulation 139(18), p. 2113-2125. Doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037401.
2. Mossavar-Rhmani, Y., Kamensky, V., Manson, J. E., Silver, B., Rapp, S., Haring, B., Beresford, S., Snetselaar, L., and Wassertheil-Smoller, S. (2019). Artificially sweetened beverages and stroke, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality in the Women’s Health Initiative. Stroke 50, p. 555-562. Doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.023100.
3. Jiang, X., Liu, J., Gu, T. (2020). Letter: Sugary drinks, artificially sweetened beverages, and cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Sante cohort. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 76(18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.08.067.
4. Gardner, H. E. and Elkind, M. S. (2019). Artificial sweeteners, real risks. Stroke, 50(3). doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.024456.
