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American Heart Association News (AP)

One or more artificially sweetened drinks a day was associated with higher risk of stroke and dementia, a new study suggests.

The research, published Thursday in the science journal Stroke, examined consumption of beverages sweetened with sugar and artificial sweeteners but did not find that same association with sugary beverages. The results, however, come with a host of caution flags raised by experts. They say the study does not even hint that regular sugary drinks are better for you, or even that artificially sweetened drinks were associated with higher risk of strokes or dementia.

The studys lead author said the observational study shows an association or trend in a group of people and not a direct cause-and-effect link. Its more hypothesis-generating.

The jury is still out, and this just shows people need to be cautious, said Matthew Pase, Ph.D., a fellow in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study.

Previous studies have looked at artificial sweeteners impact on stroke risk. Pase believes this is the first study to look at its association with risk of dementia and he hopes the work will spur more research into the effects of these sweeteners on the brain.

Researchers analyzed the self-reported diets of two sets of people participating in the Framingham Heart Study, the longest-running heart study in the U.S., funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and run in partnership with Boston University. The study examined beverage intake of 2,888 people over the age of 45 for its stroke analysis and 1,484 people over the age of 60 for the studys dementia analyses.

Over seven years, researchers used food frequency questionnaires up to three different points in time. They then followed up for the next 10 years to determine who developed stroke and dementia.

At the end of the follow-up period, researchers counted 97 strokes, or 3 percent of the participants in the stroke analysis arm of the study. Of those, 82 were ischemic. The study found 81 cases of dementia, or 5 percent of the participants in the dementia arm of the study. Of those, 63 were diagnosed as Alzheimers disease.

The study found that people who reported drinking at least one artificially sweetened drink a day compared with less than one a week were 2.96 times as likely to have an ischemic stroke, caused by blood vessel blockage, and 2.89 times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia due to Alzheimers disease. The results were adjusted for variables such as age, sex, caloric intake, diet quality, physical activity and smoking.

Pase and other researchers say the work points clearly to the need to investigate the possible biological reasons artificial sweeteners might affect the brain and the need for more experimental and clinical trials.

We need to be cautious in the interpretation of these results, said Rachel K. Johnson, Ph.D., past chair of the American Heart Associations Nutrition Committee and professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont. It doesnt prove cause and effect. When you see these kinds of associations, you want to always ask what is the biological plausibility, what is the mechanism that might be causing this?

But, Johnson said, there is a part of the issue that is settled science.

We have a robust body of literature on the adverse effects of sugary drinks. Absolutely the message is not to switch to sugary drinks, she said.

Studies linking added sugars and conditions that lead to cardiovascular disease the No. 1 cause of death in the world have been around for years. Diets high in added sugars have been connected to heart risk factors such as obesity and high blood pressure.

In 2012, the AHA and the American Diabetes Association issued a scientific statement on the use of artificial sweeteners, saying "that when used judiciously, [artificial sweeteners] could facilitate reductions in added sugars intake. The statement called for further research on non-nutritive sweeteners and cardiovascular risk but noted that limiting added sugars is an important strategy for supporting optimal nutrition and healthy weights.

Consumers shouldnt overinterpret the latest studys results, said Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., director of Nutrition Studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and a professor of medicine at Stanford University. Gardner was lead author on the 2012 statement.

Its a tricky thing, said Gardner, who leads research into how people can optimize their diets. Nobody ever said diet sodas were a health food.

For many people, such as people with diabetes or obesity, he said, diet sodas can be part of the gradual switch from sugary drinks.

So, the bottom line is, Have more water and have less diet soda, he said. And dont switch to real soda.

Pase, who studies how people can change behavior or diet to prevent dementia, said people need to be skeptical when deciding whether to select something with artificial sweeteners or real sugar.

Just because a beverage is advertised as being healthy because it doesnt have any sugar doesnt mean that it is healthy, Pase said. Artificial sweeteners may have effects in the body that we havent begun to explore.

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A diet soda a day might affect dementia risk, study suggests - The Columbus Dispatch

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A year ago, Debbie Belle found herself in the same unhealthy situation as one-third of American adults. At 5 feet 6 inches and 221 pounds, she had a body-mass index above 30 and was officially obese, according to weight criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Belle, 54, had tried several of the best-known programs on the multibillion-dollar weight-loss market. She enjoyed early success with one or two. But each turned out to be too pricey, too stress-inducing or too unwieldy to keep her committed for the long haul.

Then, she says, she tried the cheapest, lowest-pressure, most self-effacing program she'd ever run across, and the decision transformed her quest for better health.

Belle joined Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, or TOPS, a national nonprofit that promotes peer support and personal determination to encourage members to avoid crash diets and instead adopt healthy lifestyle changes. Its goal is to help the average person lose weight moderately and manageably and to keep it off.

Belle, who lives in Nottingham, has shed 74 pounds in 11 months on the program and, more statistically promising for her health, has maintained her target weight of 147 since reaching it months ago.

She won a divisional first-place prize at a statewide TOPS convention in Ocean City this month for her efforts.

But the ribbon and affirmation Belle received were far from the only reason she intends to never to give up the $32-per-year program.

"It isn't a quick-fix approach or a diet program," she said. "The goal is to make weight loss permanent. I get such deep support and encouragement from my TOPS family. Never once have I felt judged, and I mean 'never' with a capital 'n.' That has all helped motivate me not just to lose the weight but also to keep it off."

Belle's experience with TOPS, a nationwide nonprofit with 63 chapters in Maryland (including 18 in the Baltimore area), is in some ways a model of what weight-management scientists as opposed to those who market weight-loss programs have been arguing for years: that when it comes to losing weight, participants' long-term health is more important than their appearance; that a slow and steady approach is healthier than a quick and splashy one; and that it's just as important to maintain weight loss as to achieve it in the first place.

Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University and a leading researcher in weight-management science, said a study of 32 popular weight-loss regimens she led in 2015 suggested that the TOPS approach is effective. But what interests her more than any single program is exploring and explaining the tenets that lie behind any program that works.

Research has long shown that obesity increases the incidence of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and a host of other dangerous medical conditions.

Gudzune said those who wish to lose weight would do well to look at what TOPS and a few other organizations emphasize in contrast to most programs in the $40 billion- to $60 billion-per-year weight-loss industry.

"If you look at the market of proprietary weight-loss programs, you'll generally see two main camps," she says. "One spotlights dramatic losses by using ads with models holding up these very large pants, then tiny ones in the next photo: 'Lose 100 pounds in three months!'"

Others "advocate a more regimented change in lifestyle, changes you can actually keep up for the rest of your life," Gudzune said. "I usually prefer a steadier, more purposeful change."

Given her weight loss, Belle might appear to exemplify the quick-fix camp, but what originally attracted her to TOPS was the gently supportive, user-friendly approach it has promoted for 70 years, always without paying for advertising.

Trying a better-known national program for more than a year, Belle said, helped her shed 100 pounds, but she regained it within few months.

In retrospect, she said, that program called for such rigorous calculation of weight-loss points it was hard to keep up. What's more, its monthly membership fee, which added up to $540 per year, was too high. She also felt the company representatives who ran the meetings were often judgmental, and the program reduced its accountability requirements once participants hit their target weight.

"They only asked you to come back once a month after you make your goal weight, and I need it once a week," Belle said. "I can be disciplined, but when it becomes too hard to keep up, it's easy to fall back into bad habits."

She then checked out TOPS. She'd heard the program operates in self-organized chapters in churches and senior centers.

At her first meeting with the Fallston chapter she felt as though she had met 30-plus soul mates.

They encouraged her that night and welcomed her developmentally disabled adult son, David, into their midst.

After two meetings, she said, she began getting motivational cards from the group and realized they felt like family.

Taking advantage of TOPS literature on exercise and nutrition, she began taking what felt like manageable steps, swimming at a local community college, doing morning walks with David, and maintaining a regimen of "calorie cycling" 1,800 calories on high-exercise days, 1,200 on the rest.

The positivity of the feedback and weekly weigh-ins motivated her not to quit, she said, and to add gradually to her chosen exercise regimen. She now swims 30 laps a day three times a week, walks for an hour at a rapid clip four times a week, and rarely goes back for seconds at meals.

Perhaps most important, she said, TOPS doesn't let up after members hit their target weight; it places them in its coveted "KOPS" (Keeping Weight Off Sensibly) category, and the positive feedback and weekly expectations continue.

Like most programs in an industry regulated more by the Federal Trade Commission than by federal health agencies, TOPS has never been subjected to the randomized clinical trials that would measure its effectiveness against that of its rivals.

But one weight-management researcher, Dr. Nia S. Mitchell of Duke University, became interested in TOPS while seeking weight-loss alternatives for her lower-income clinical patients 14 years ago.

She found in longitudinal studies that members who stayed enrolled year to year generally lost between 5.9 percent and 7.1 percent of their original body weight over three years, easily eclipsing the 5 percent considered a benchmark for significantly improving one's overall health.

And most of those who stayed with TOPS for seven straight years kept the weight off.

"I see continuous engagement as a key to the weight-loss maintenance success of TOPS," Mitchell said.

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Shedding pounds sensibly and making weight loss stick - Baltimore ... - Baltimore Sun

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Women's Health

Leptigen: Will This Fancy Diet Pill Really Help You Lose Weight? Women's Health If you've ever searched online for a diet pill, you might have come across Leptigen at some point. The pill bills itself as a weight-loss solution and its website claims that it contains a proprietary blend of clinically-researched ingredients for ...

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Forbes

Serena Williams May Be Pregnant, But Her Career's Not Over By A Long Shot Forbes Gaining weight is natural during pregnancy (the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendations are 25 to 35 pounds for women who are normal weight and 15 t0 25 for those who are overweight). Expecting to lose weight quickly ... and more »

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Serena Williams May Be Pregnant, But Her Career's Not Over By A Long Shot - Forbes

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Do you ever wonder how TLC's Dr. Younan Nowzaradan gets such dramatic weight-loss results from his gastric bypass patients on "#My 600-lb Life"? Thanks to the good doctor, show participants like Chad Dean and Sean Milliken (to name recent ones) have shed hundreds of pounds. The reality television surgeon dished up his famous baratric surgery diet. And what's on the menu might surprise you!

Before gastric bypass surgery on "My 600-lb Life," patients must lose weight. Does this shock you? Many people think #Bariatric Surgery will fix obesity in one fell swoop. They don't realize that there is "homework" before they can have a gastric sleeve (or other device) implanted. The purpose of this is two-fold. Most patients come to the reality TV show far too overweight to safely undergo surgery. Steven Assanti weighed 853 pounds. Losing weight before surgery is also an act of good faith. It proves to Dr. Now that patients will follow through.

With the morbidly obese, the bariatric surgeon doesn't have time to mess around. They are dying of infections like cellulitis. Crippling lymphedema tumors destroy joints and become infected, and not one vital organ isn't hurt by extra weight. Diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, heart failure and other diseases compound health risks. Dr. Now is well nicknamed as he literally has to act now. He expects patients to lose 50 pounds a month, and they do on his rigid 800-calorie a day diet.

Patients often think that Dr. Nowzaradan expects them to lose weight too fast. 50 pounds in a month is a lot for a normal sized person. But these are abnormally obese people whose weight is snowballing. They can shed 50 pounds in a month because they gain that fast, eating 5-10 times what the average person eats. 800 calories is extreme but only temporary while they're in the hospital. Patients are allowed 1,200 calories daily living independently prior to surgery. Those who follow the bariatric surgery diet, like Chad Dean, lose. Those that don't, like James K, don't.

The diet focuses on daily nutrient quantities as much as calories. Dr. Now talks in ounces of food, recommending 6-8 ounces of protein for men and less for women. But he also makes patients eat 60 grams a day. So protein sources have to be lean and efficient. He encourages dairy for protein and calcium. Bread sources need to contain high fiber to burn fat. The diet cuts soda, refined sugar and transfat and boosts MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids). But Nowzaradan realizes that patients need some sweets or they'll never manage. He recommends fruits with seeds (blueberries and strawberries) for fiber. After surgery, patients avoid vegetables as they add bulk without curbing hunger. Later, veggies are added in.

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'My 600-lb Life': Dr. Now dishes up surprising gastric bypass weight-loss diet - Blasting News

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Spring and summer time go hand in hand with outdoor fun, sporting events and other family activities.

The summer is also known as trauma season for emergency departments as Florida temperatures rise and children are out of school.

But there are simple precautions you can take especially when going to outdoor events such as The Players Championship.

1. Stay hydrated. Heat illnesses are serious and can cause your organs to shut down if severe enough. Drink plenty of liquids, preferably water or sports drinks. Some events will have bottled water or water stations to fill your own water bottles. The key is to stay hydrated to replenish sodium and other electrolytes you lose when sweating.

2. Wear proper clothing and footwear. Light-weight, loose fitting clothes with light colors and hats also help to keep you cool.

Many activities involve a lot of walking. But be sure to wear proper tennis or walking shoes. High heels can lead to falls and broken ankles while flip flops or sandals can invite insect bites and sunburns on your feet.

3. Continuously apply sunscreen. Keep sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, on throughout the day and be sure to reapply every two hours to maintain proper protection. Take advantage of shading or indoor facilities. Even though you may feel great, its good to go inside and take a break.

Visitors from northern states or other countries often are not used to Floridas temperatures and underestimate the heat. Ninety degrees here does not feel the same as 90 degrees in New York City because of the humidity. The sun here is much more powerful than people realize.

4. Dont overdo. Bring a chair and rest, if needed. If you start to feel sick, be sure you know where the first aid stations are located or ask. Some warning signs of heat exhaustion are weak and rapid pulse rate, fast and shallow breathing, low blood pressure, paleness, muscle cramps, weakness, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and fainting.

In the event of a cardiac arrest, many large public venues also now have automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which are portable devices that can deliver an electric shock to the heart.

5. Bring a daily supply of your medicines. If you take a prescription such as for diabetes or high blood pressure, dont forget to take your medicine and/or insulin as scheduled.

6. Be aware of your surroundings. In this day and age, its always important to stay alert and pay attention to any unexpected situations that may occur or even just severe weather. Know where exits are located and how to safely leave an event.

Summer is a fun time, but when youre outdoors, remember to be aware of the temperatures and the environment around you. I want your summer to be a safe and healthy one.

Jeffrey Smowton, MD, is board-certified as an emergency medical specialist and internist, and is also chief of emergency medicine at Baptist Medical Center Beaches, 1350 13th Avenue South, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.

Free skin cancer screenings sponsored by Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center will take place at The Players on Thursday through Sunday, May 11-14, in a private tent adjacent to Baptist Healths First Aid Station, near the Nicklaus Gate and across from The Grove.

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Simple steps to stay healthy during outdoor sporting events - Florida Times-Union

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The study sheds light only on an association, as the researchers were unable to determine an actual cause-and-effect relationship between sipping artificially sweetened drinks and an increased risk for stroke and dementia. Therefore, some experts caution that the findings should be interpreted carefully.

No connection was found between those health risks and other sugary beverages, such as sugar-sweetened sodas, fruit juice and fruit drinks.

"We have little data on the health effects of diet drinks and this is problematic because diet drinks are popular amongst the general population," said Matthew Pase, a senior research fellow in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and lead author of the new study.

"More research is needed to study the health effects of diet drinks so that consumers can make informed choices concerning their health," he said.

In the older-than-45 group, the researchers measured for stroke and in the older-than-60 group, they measured for dementia.

"The sample sizes are different because we studied people of different ages," Pase said. "Dementia is rare in people under the age of 60 and so we focused only on those aged over 60 years for dementia. Similarly, stroke is rare in people aged under 45 and so we focused on people older than age 45 for stroke."

The researchers analyzed how many sugary beverages and artificially sweetened soft drinks each person in the two different age groups drank, at different time points, between 1991 and 2001. Then, they compared that with how many people suffered stroke or dementia over the next 10 years.

Compared to never drinking artificially sweetened soft drinks, those who drank one a day were almost three times as likely to have an ischemic stroke, caused by blocked blood vessels, the researchers found.

They also found that those who drank one a day were nearly three times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Those who drank one to six artificially sweetened beverages a week were 2.6 times as likely to experience an ischemic stroke but were no more likely to develop dementia, Pase said.

"So, it was not surprising to see that diet soda intake was associated with stroke and dementia. I was surprised that sugary beverage intake was not associated with either the risks of stroke or dementia because sugary beverages are known to be unhealthy," Pase said.

In response, Lauren Kane, a spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association, issued a statement from the group that said low-calorie sweeteners found in beverages have been proven safe by worldwide government safety authorities.

"The FDA, World Health Organization, European Food Safety Authority and others have extensively reviewed low-calorie sweeteners and have all reached the same conclusion -- they are safe for consumption," the statement said.

"While we respect the mission of these organizations to help prevent conditions like stroke and dementia, the authors of this study acknowledge that their conclusions do not -- and cannot -- prove cause and effect. And according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), many risk factors can increase an individual's likelihood of developing stroke and dementia including age, hypertension, diabetes and genetics. NIH does not mention zero calorie sweeteners as a risk factor," the statement said. "America's beverage companies support and encourage balanced lifestyles by providing people with a range of beverage choices with and without calories and sugar so they can choose the beverage that is right for them."

"This article provides further evidence though on artificially sweetened beverages and their possible effects on vascular health, including stroke and dementia," said Dr. Ralph Sacco, professor and chair of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, about the new study.

"We believe the pathways of which artificially sweetened beverages would affect the brain are probably through vascular mechanisms," Sacco said.

"When the authors controlled for hypertension and diabetes and obesity the effects diminish, which implies that some of the effects of artificially sweetened beverages could still be going through a vascular pathway," he said about the new study. "Many strokes are caused by hardening of arteries; and the risk of dementia is also increased by the hardening of arteries in large and small vessels. So, I believe the mechanisms may be through vascular disease, though we can't prove it."

Heather Snyder, senior director of medical and scientific operations at the Alzheimer's Association, called the new study "a piece of a larger puzzle" when it comes to better understanding how your diet and behaviors impact your brain.

"It's actually really more of your overall diet and overall lifestyle that is linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk, and we do know that heart disease and diabetes are linked to an increased risk of dementia," said Snyder, who was not involved in the new study.

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Diet sodas may be tied to stroke, dementia risk - CNN

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BBC News

Controlled amino acid diet 'could help cancer treatment' BBC News A controlled diet that restricts certain amino acids could be used as an additional treatment for some cancer patients, according to Cancer Research UK. Researchers found that removing two non-essential amino acids, serine and glycine, from the diet of ... Amino acids in diet could be key to starving cancerScience Daily Diet Therapy Could Slow Cancer by Cutting Certain Amino AcidsGenetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (press release) Bowel cancer news: THIS specific diet plan to SHRINK tumours could be future treatmentExpress.co.uk Glasgow Evening Times all 20 news articles »

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CJ Letter 11:21 a.m. ET April 20, 2017

Plant-based diet(Photo: yulka3ice, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

As thousands across the U.S. get ready to protest environmental budgetcuts, each of us can also help with our driving, our recycling, and ourdiet.

Yes, our diet. A 2010 United Nations report blames animal agriculturefor 70 percent of global freshwater use, 38 percent of land use, and 19 percent of greenhousegas emissions.

Carbon dioxide is emitted by burning forests to create animal pasturesand by fossil fuel combustion to operate farm machinery, trucks, factoryfarms, and slaughterhouses. The more damaging methane and nitrous oxideare released from digestive tracts of cattle and from animal wastecesspools, respectively.

Moreover, meat and dairy production dump more animal waste, cropdebris, fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants into our waterwaysthan all other human activities combined. It is the driving force inwildlife habitat destruction.

In an environmentally sustainable world, meat and dairy products in ourdiet must be replaced by vegetables, fruits, and grains, just as fossilfuels are replaced by wind, solar, and other pollution-free energysources.

On this Earth Day and every day, lets cherish our environment with eco-friendly plant-based eating. Our next trip to the supermarket is a great starting point.

Lyle Rutter Louisville40203

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ITSno state secret, regularly downing a full-fat Coke is not the healthiest of life choices.

Armed with the info, chances are you will save a Coca Colafor treat day and opt for the diet stuff day-to-day.

Butwhen it comes to potential health complicationsboth full-sugar and diet versions of most fizzy drinkscome with a helping of risks, according to the science.

And thats why health experts and dietitians recommend drinking plenty of water to quench your thirst, reserving a can of pop for the odd day when you deserve a little something naughty.

Countless studies have examined the health pros and cons of sugary and diet versions.

Researchers digging into the full-sugar varieties have found links with decreased brain function and memory, increased risk of diabetes and heart attack.

While their colleagues focusing on the diet alternatives have, perhaps more surprisingly, found similar concerns.

Diet fizzy drinks, which are artificially sweetened, have been linked to increased risk of heart attack and even excessive weight gain.

And most recently a US team found that those who drink just one can of diet pop a day such as Diet Coke were at three times the risk of suffering a stroke as well as developing dementia.

But if this isnt enough to make you put down the pop for good, here is a run down of Coca Cola versus Diet Coke, according to the scientific findings.

In a standard 330ml can of regular full-fatCoke, there are 35g of sugar, which is around seven teaspoons.

To put that into perspective, that is the recommended daily intake of sugar for an adult in just one can.

That sugar is taken into our body as calories and, if it is not burnt off, gets converted into fat and sits snugly on our waistlines.

That alone should be enough to cause concern.

Obesity greatly increases your risk of potentially life-threatening conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of caner and stroke, according to the NHS.

But it is not just an expanding tummy you need to look out for.

A 2002 study published in the journal Neuroscience found that high levels of refined sugar, such as those found in Coke, actually deprived the brain of a chemical necessary for learning and memory.

Rats who were kept on a diet packed with sugary drinks showed a decreased ability in theirhippocampus part of the brain that controls memory and learning after several months.

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Another study, conducted in 2012, found just one can of fizzy drink increased the risk of heart attack by 20 per cent compared to those who drank no soda.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, looked at the drinks intake of more than 42,000 men and discovered there were almost 4,000 cases of heart disease over a 22-year period in men who drank more soda.

The researchers attributed this to an adverse change in fat in the body and inflammation caused by the drink, both of which can damage the heart.

Still need convincing?

In 2015 an infographic, based on research by health writer Wade Meredith, was released explaining how Coke contains so much sugar your body should vomit but the phosphoric acid cuts the flavour and helps keep it down.

Within 40 minutes of gulping the drink your blood sugar has spiked, your pupils have dilated, your blood pressure rises and your body produces more of the happy chemical dopamine, which is the same way heroin works on your system.

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Youd be forgiven for reaching for a cold can of Diet Coke thinking it is a healthier option, the clue is the name or so you thought.

But all may not be as it seems.

Diet Coke, like many other diet drinks, contains high levels of artificial sweeteners, which are not immune fromcontroversy.

Diet Coke, specifically, contains aspartame.

Earlier this year a study claimed there was noevidence artificially-sweetened beverages such as Diet Coke are better for staying trim or slimming than sugar-filled versions.

They said diet drinks do not cut the risk of developing obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

Experts warn they may even cause weight gain, by stimulating peoples sweet tooth and causing them to eat more.

Sugar

Sugar is a natural ingredient that is cultivated from sugar cane.

They are carbohydrates that provide energy for the body and its most common form is glucose.

Some are also found naturally in foods like fruit, vegetables and milk.

The body does not distinguish between the different types of sugar and breaks them down in exactly the same way.

But just because it is naturally occurring doesnt mean it is without health risks.

Too much sugar can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Aspartme

Aspartme is an artificial sweetener used instead of sugar to make food taste sweeter.

It is low in calories and up to 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Aspartame is used all over the world as a sugar substitute in thousands of foods and drinks, including cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, low-calorie soft drinks and table-top sweeteners, according to the NHS.

But it has been subject to more scare stories than any other sweetener.

There have been reports it is linked to an increased chance of brain tumours, cancer, premature birth, liver damage and allergies.

However theEuropean Food Safety Authority conducted a comprehensive review into the evidence in 2013 and concluded it was safe for human consumption.

Another theory is sweeteners alter gut bugs, making it harder for the body to use sugar.

Artificial sweeteners have also been linked to increased levels of hunger by trickingthe brain into thinking it is getting a sugary, high-calorie treat.

Speaking of weight gain, there is even a theory that those who drink diet drinks eat more during the day because they think they are entitled to more calories.

It has also been linked to an increased risk of diabetes thats without the excess sugar in normal coke.

Experts warned that just a couple of glasses of sugary or diet pop such as Diet Coke a day more than doubles their risk of the disease.

One theory is sweetened beverages can affect how the body uses insulin.

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Even more worrying is the effect it is thought to have on those trying for a baby.

Diet drinks may reduce a womans chance of getting pregnant during IVF and it is all to do with the artificial sweeteners in the beverages.

Those who supped low-calorie pop or put sweeteners in coffee produced poorer eggs and embryos, a Brazilian study found.

The study concluded: Patients should be advised about the adverse effect of sugar and mainly artificial sweeteners on the success of assisted reproduction.

And that isnt all!

A study from the University of Miami linked diet drinks to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke results that have been similar in studies on full fat soft drinks suggesting that diet drinks are in fact no better for us.

More than 2,000 people were asked to keep a diary of what they ate and drank for the study, which found those who drank diet soda were 48 per cent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

Yesterday a US study revealed those who drank one can of diet soda a day were at three times the risk of a stroke and also likely to develop dementia.

The team from Boston University School of Medicine looked at ten years worth of data from more than 4,300 people.

Getty Images

Based on the evidence above, it is fair to say that neither option is a good option.

The popular drinks have both been linked to increased risks of obesity which can lead to type two diabetes, some cancers, heart attack and stroke.

Separately they have also been linked to a greater risk of heart attack and stroke without obesity being factored in.

So, if you want to be health conscious next time youre feeling parched your best option is a glass of water.

As tempting as a cold can of coke might be, it just doesnt seem worth it for your health.

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