Could Diet Soda Increase Dementia Risk?

A new analysis from the long‑running Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) suggests that drinking diet soda every day may be linked to a higher risk of developing dementia, particularly among non‑Hispanic white and Black adults. While more research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms, the findings add to a growing body of evidence connecting artificially sweetened beverages with cardiometabolic and cognitive outcomes. "Diet soda is likely not a healthy alternative to regular, sugar-sweetened soda when it comes to protecting brain health,” said Dr. Gardener, senior author of the study and a longstanding NOMAS investigator.