Drinking Too Much Soda Could Be Linked to Alzheimer’s, Two New Studies Suggest

April 24, 2017 5:00 am
Coca Cola products are displayed in a cooler at Marina Supermarket on July 22, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Coca Cola products are displayed in a cooler at Marina Supermarket on July 22, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

 

Coca Cola products are displayed in a cooler at Marina Supermarket on July 22, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Coca Cola products are displayed in a cooler at Marina Supermarket on July 22, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

 

Scientists have warned about the deleterious effects of soda for years, but those bingeing on the beverage have another reason to kick the habit—avoiding Alzheimer’s.

Two new studies by the same group of researchers at Boston University School of Medicine linked both diet and regular soda to the degenerative brain disease, according to a new report. After reviewing long-term research, they conducted a follow-up study to reach their findings.

One study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia in March, suggested frequent drinkers of sugary beverages like soda were more likely to show early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers also tied the high sugar intake to a smaller hippocampus, which affects learning and memory, in addition to a smaller brain volume overall.

Published on Thursday in the journal Stroke, the other study connected a high consumption of artificially sweetened beverages to a greater risk of stroke and dementia. In fact, the findings suggest daily drinkers of diet soda are three times more likely to have a stroke or develop the degenerative brain disease. According to Bloomberg, artificial sweeteners have already been tied to weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes.

Read the full article in the journal Stroke

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