Stroke, Sodium, and Diet SodaYou may think that reaching for a diet soda is a good choice for your heart, but you may want to think again. One study has shown that people who drink diet soda have a 61% greater risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack compared to people who don’t drink any soda at all. A separate study has also found that people with high sodium diets are at greater risk for suffering a stroke.

In the first study, researchers talked to over 2,500 people of various ethnicities and backgrounds about their soda drinking habits. Based on participants’ responses, the researchers grouped the participants into three categories – people who do not consume soda, people who have moderate soda intake, and people who consume soda on a daily basis. Over the course of 9 years, nearly 560 strokes and heart attacks occurred within the group. The researchers found that over the course of the study, people who consumed soda on a daily basis were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or a stroke compared to non-soda drinkers.

High Sodium Intake Linked to Strokes

In a different study completed by the same researchers, the researchers asked over 2,600 people about their eating habits and diet.  Researchers waited ten years, followed up with participants, and found that 187 had suffered strokes. After examining the data, researchers found that the risk of stroke increased about 16% with every additional 500 mg of sodium consumed every day. The researchers also found that only about one third of the participants met the current US dietary guidelines of consuming less than 2300mg of sodium per day. Only 12% of participants met the standards set by the American Heart Association of consuming less than 1500mg per day.

Strokes Are the Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.

According to figures from StrokeCenter.org, the third leading cause of death is stroke in the United States as 140,000 people die from strokes annually. Nearly 75% of people who suffer strokes are, according to statistics, past the age of 65. Additionally, data shows that someone in the United Statessuffers a stroke every 40 seconds.  With the number of strokes being so high, it is important that you take measures to protect your health such as reducing the amount of sodium you consume and eliminating diet soda.