Older women who drink two or more diet drinks a day are more likely to suffer from heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes, a new study shows.
Postmenopausal women with a two-a-day soft drink habit were 50 per cent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular-related diseases, the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study discovered.
They were also 30 per cent more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes compared to those who consumed the drinks in moderation or not at all.
60,000 women with an average age of 62.8 were asked how many low-calorie fruit drinks and diet soft drinks they had drunk over a three-month period.
Based on the results, the women were then separated into groups – with those who drank two or more diet drinks marked as heavy consumers.
Almost a decade later, researchers asked the women whether they had experienced any heart-related problems, including heart attacks, blood clots and strokes.
‘Heavy consumers’ were found to have suffered the most health problems.
The research also took into account various factors like participants BMI, physical activity levels, and other lifestyle choices.