“Healthy Habit” a Wrecking Ball for Your Heart!
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted November 28, 2020
Dear Reader,
Overall, you try to eat healthy, do well for yourself, and even exercise.
Maybe you even think about your heart health when you’re choosing food at a restaurant or the grocery store.
You try to get your fruits and veggies, order diet drinks instead of full-calorie sodas, skip the dessert on most occasions (we all have to splurge sometimes!), and focus on lean meats and whole grains.
But one of these so-called “healthy habits” is actually a wrecking ball for your heart.
Here’s the scary truth…
It turns out that artificial sweeteners, lurking in those diet drinks, are HORRIBLE for your heart!
A new study found that artificially sweetened beverages are NOT a healthy substitute for sugar drinks.
And if you’ve been following Living Well Daily for a while, you already know that sugar-filled beverages are bad news for you when it comes to your heart.
Well, artificially-sweetened ones aren’t any better!
A 2019 study found women who had more than two servings a day sugary drinks (including sports drinks, coffee drinks, soda) had a 63 percent increased risk of premature death. Sugar drinks don’t harm men as much, but they still have a 29 percent increase risk of dying if they drink two drinks a day.
It makes sense when you see headlines that tell you sugar drinks shorten your life that you reach for diet sodas.
But new research, published in the Journal American College of Cardiology, took over 100,000 French volunteers and divided them into three groups of artificial sugar users: nonusers, low consumers, or high consumers.
Then followed them for 18 years.
When compared to people who didn’t drink artificially sweetened beverages, high consumers were 20 percent more likely to have heart disease.
Other studies also found artificial sweeteners don’t help with weight loss because they still trigger insulin release (and other chemicals) that stimulate weight gain.
Another 2019 study found that artificial sweeteners use was linked to an increase of strokes, heart attacks, and early death (especially in women over 50).
Still other studies have linked diet beverages to stroke, dementia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
Why artificial sweeteners cause so many health problems is up for debate. I think it’s safe to say that these chemicals were created in a laboratory and not found in nature – and that will ALWAYS cause health problems.
If artificial sweeteners don’t help you lose weight, are bad for your heart, and increase so many diseases, then why bother?
My suggestion?
Try sparkling water.
There’s been a boom in seltzer water and sparkling water with added flavor. These are a great thing around the house. The flavor (and lack of sweet taste) takes a while to get used to, but they are naturally calorie free and good for you.
P.S. Giving up drinks isn’t the only way to protect your heart. Go here and read my guideline for STOPPING heart disease
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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