It's not the best news for soda drinkers. But results from research carried out by the University of Miami, appear to suggest that drinking soda could put people at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as a heart attack or stroke.

Although diet sodas may help preserve the waistline, those drinking them were no less likely to succumb to vascular conditions.




The findings were presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2011, and were based around a study of 2,564 people in the large, multi-ethnic Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS). Participants were followed up after an average of 9.3 years, where during this period, 559 people suffered some sort of vascular problem including both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.

Those who were participating in the study were asked to record how much soda they drank and whether it was a regular or diet variety. Once the research was gathered, it was grouped into seven categories: no soda; moderate regular soda; daily regular soda; moderate diet soda; daily diet soda; and a further two groups were split into those who drank both types regularly or daily.

The results showed that participants who drank soda had a 48 percent greater risk of suffering from vascular conditions, while those drinking diet soda on a daily basis were 61 percent higher risk when compared with those who drank no soda at all.

According to Dr. Gardener, a lead author and epidemiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, if the results are confirmed with future studies, "it would suggest that diet soda may not be the optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages for protection against vascular outcomes."

As well as monitoring participants soda drinking habits, further factors which were taken into account included individuals daily calorie intake, age, gender and race, as well as whether they smoked, exercised or drank alcohol. They also recorded whether or not there was any previous or current history of  heart, peripheral vascular disease or metabolic syndrome.

Although the findings appear to suggest a strong link between drinking regular or diet soda and cardiovascular diseases, researchers lacked further information which may have revealed an alternative explanation. For example, investigators had no idea as to which types of sodas the participants were drinking. Without knowing the brand of soda, factors including changes to the ingredients such as colorings or the sweeteners used, were not taken into account.

While these findings may not be enough to prompt the majority of soda drinkers into abstaining from their favorite soda drinks, it should serve as a warning that there is a great deal that is unknown about the effects of artificially manufactured foods on health. Until then and in the light of this recent research, it would probably be wise to exercise the adage 'moderation in all things', on consumption of regular and diet sodas.

Source: American Heart Association