We’ve told you before how dangerous it is to drink these… But most people still have no idea…or they just don’t care.

About one in five Americans drinks at least one diet beverage every day. And we’re not just talking about soda, either. Even “healthy” zero calorie sports and fruit drinks—the ones some people think are safer than soda are hurting your heart.1

According to new research from the University of Iowa, these beverages raise heart event risk by 30 percent in post-menopausal women. This includes a heart attack or stroke. But that’s not even the bombshell news. This study also found these same women are 50 percent more likely to die from any form of heart disease.

That’s a huge danger… Yet somehow researchers are saying this increase in risk isn’t “extreme.”2

Sound confusing? It is. Especially if you look closer at their study.

First, this was no small study. It is the largest of its kind to date. Researchers followed almost 60,000 women between the age of 50 and 79. And the study lasted a decade. At the end, researchers found that women who drank two or more diet drinks a day face this increased risk.3

Just two drinks a day… But what’s even harder to believe is that the researchers are also saying this isn’t enough evidence to avoid these drinks. The study only shows an association. It doesn’t show a clear link.

Technically, they may be right—but that’s one heck of an association. Maybe they just want to play it safe. After all, they don’t want to upset Big Food. But just look at what we already know about these diet drinks…

The artificial sweeteners in diet soda raise your risk for metabolic syndrome. This includes high blood pressure, which puts you at risk for heart disease. They also lead to 14 percent more body fat gain in two weeks—even when eating fewer calories. In fact, diet beverage drinkers are 200 percent more at risk for obesity.4 It’s one of the biggest factors in developing heart disease. But it can also cause total heart failure.5

Don’t think that the regular versions of these drinks are any safer—they’re not. Their high sugar content also puts your heart in danger by raising inflammation. Skip these processed drinks—diet or not—entirely. Instead, stick with water.  If you like a little flavor, add a twist of fresh lemon. But for an even bigger health punch, drink antioxidant-rich teas.

A single cup of hibiscus tea before breakfast lowers blood pressure just as much as a prescription drug. The antioxidants in white tea can help you slash heart disease risk by 60 percent.

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References:
1http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db109.htm
2http://www.cnbc.com/id/101536768
3http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/29/diet-drinks-bad-for-health_n_5051388.html
4http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/diet-soda-health_b_2698494.html
5http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks.html