A new study has revealed that consuming two liters or more of "diet" drinks weekly raises the risk of developing a condition known as "atrial fibrillation" by 20%. Approximately 40 million people worldwide suffer from atrial fibrillation, which causes rapid and irregular heartbeats. These episodes may occur for short intervals in some patients or may persist permanently in others.
The new study examined data from around 202,000 individuals, who were followed for an average of 10 years, ranging in age from 37 to 73, with more than half being female, according to the American network CNN. The research team found that individuals who regularly consumed two liters or more of diet drinks weekly were 20% more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, while those who drank the same amount of sugary beverages had a 10% higher risk of the condition.
On the other hand, the study found that consuming an equivalent amount of unsweetened fresh juice was associated with an 8% lower risk of atrial fibrillation. Researchers noted that the higher consumers of diet drinks tended to be female, younger, heavier, and those suffering from type 2 diabetes.
However, the research team acknowledged that their results might be limited as some individuals might consume more than one type of beverage. Nevertheless, they recommended that people avoid or at least reduce sugar-sweetened and diet drinks whenever possible.
