Increase your stroke risk by
48% when you drink this....

Cancer, heart attacks, and stroke are three of the biggest killers in the U.S. As you may know, sugar-laden soft drinks can contribute to cancer and heart attacks. They increase your risk for diabetes. And diabetics are at significant risk for these two illnesses. But do soft drinks cause strokes?

A recent study found that it's not the sugar-laden soft drinks you have to worry about if you want to avoid stroke. Oh, they may contribute to strokes, just like they do with cancer and heart disease. But this large new study says a similar concoction may do more than just "contribute" to strokes.

In fact, the researchers conducting this study were shocked with what they found. They discovered that you're 48% more likely to suffer a stroke or other vascular event if you drink one daily as compared to no soda at all. The risk persisted despite careful controlling for age, sex, smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption, peripheral vascular disease, or other heart history.

The researchers evaluated 2,564 ethnically diverse participants. About 35% said they didn't drink soft drinks at all. About 25% said they drank diet soda. And 116 participants said they drank diet soda every day.

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The weakness of the study is that it was questionnaire based. That means it may actually reflect other factors not considered. For example, those who don't drink soda might be more health conscious, get more exercise, and eat better.

I agree with the limitations. More study is needed to absolutely draw a connection. But I'll add this. Diet soda, in my book, is far more dangerous than the sugary version. The artificial sweeteners confuse your body. They tell your body that something sweet is coming down the hatch. Your insulin might get revved up to prepare for the expected sugar. Without any sugar to deal with, the insulin release can cause your blood sugar to fall. This results in more eating. Perhaps you won't get the calories from the sugar. But you sure could from other toxic and chemical laden "foods."

Additionally, we just don't know the long-term effects of the artificial sweeteners. Aspartame is especially toxic, containing 10% methanol, which your body metabolizes to formaldehyde (embalming fluid). It also contains an amino acid neurostimulant, which, in susceptible people, might just fry neurons on its own. And now we see that they may actually cause strokes.

Remember my mantra: If God didn't make it, don't eat it. God did make sugar cane. So, I'd rather eat what came from it than some chemical. God did not make high fructose corn syrup, which most conventional soft drinks contain. This sweetener is far worse than sugar. The answer? God made water! God also made leaves that can dry into tea. So I suggest substituting water and/or green tea for all chemical beverages. If you want to sweeten, no problem. Add a touch of pure grade B maple syrup or, even better, raw honey. These, at least, have some nutrition attached to the sweetness, and in the case of raw honey, it's a living food!

Ref: http://timewellness.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/diet-soda-may-lead-to-stroke-risk-really/#ixzz1Dhojxgqg.