Dietitians are raising concerns that reaching for a can of soda might be doing more harm than you think, especially if it’s part of your daily routine. A large study involving nearly 27,000 people found that individuals who frequently drank soda had a 22 % higher risk of having a stroke, with the risk climbing even further for those who consumed two or more cans per day.
Experts say that thinking of soda as just a refreshing drink can be misleading because it often contains added sugars or artificial sweeteners that can negatively affect your vascular health. Both types of soda appear to be problematic, not just those with sugar added, and dietitians warn that regularly ingesting them could set the stage for metabolic issues—including increased blood pressure and weight gain—that in turn raise stroke risk.
According to dietitian Stacey Woodson, added sugars can contribute to conditions like obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, all of which are linked to inflammation and blood vessel damage that make stroke more likely. Woodson emphasizes that these risks are tied not only to the calories in sugary sodas but also to their overall impact on the body’s blood sugar and metabolic systems.
Another dietitian, Patricia Kolesa, highlights that a typical 12‑ounce can of soda can contain more added sugar than most people should consume in an entire day, meaning that even a seemingly small habit can have a surprisingly large effect on your health. Many public health guidelines recommend keeping added sugars to a small fraction of daily calories because of these long‑term risks.
Rather than reaching for soda when you’re thirsty, nutrition specialists suggest choosing water, unsweetened tea, or other beverages without added sugars or sweeteners as safer regular alternatives. Staying mindful of beverage choices is one of the ways dietitians recommend protecting your cardiovascular and brain health over time.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients, which can lead to lasting impairment or even death; lifestyle factors like diet, smoking, high blood pressure, and inactivity all play major roles in stroke risk.
Given these findings and what we know about how sugary and sweetened drinks affect the body, it’s worth reconsidering how often you consume soda and similar beverages.
What are your thoughts on how beverage choices affect stroke risk; share your perspective in the comments.
