​A significant increase in the risk of stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease is associated with high intake of artificially-sweetened beverages.

The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between the consumption of soft drinks and the occurrence of stroke and dementia in men and women. A team of scientists from the Boston University School of Medicine, USA, tracked the sugary beverage intake and the incidence rates of stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease among 2,888 men and women above the age of 45 recruited from the Community-Based Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort.

The team of investigators found a high prevalence of stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease among subjects who consistently consumed artificially-sweetened soft drinks. In contrast, generous consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages did not have any significant effect on stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease risk in this study. The results of this study indicate that regular drinking of artificially-sweetened beverages may increase an individual's susceptibility to stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.