According to the study if you drink diet soda on a daily basis you have a 61 percent higher risk of cardiovascular events like a heart attack or stroke, compared to people who don't drink any soda.
And while millions of people do have diet drinks on a daily basis, most of the people we talked with say they avoid them because of concerns about what is in them. "I don't like diet soda. It's awful. It doesn't taste good and it's full of chemicals," says Quinn Hoover.
But many experts have mixed feelings about the study. Cardiologist Dr. Gopi Upamaka says, "I wouldn't take everything at face value. We trust double blind controlled trials and since this was not one, you have to be careful about interpreting the data."
Promedica cardiologist Dr. Gopi Upamaka says moderation is the key with anything you drink or eat. "I would not panic on the basis of this study if I was a diet coke drinker...i would certainly be more careful about moderation...a lot of studies have shown it's safe as long as you have just one can a day," says Dr. Upamaka.
Registered dietician Sharon Gutman says one can a day is a good limit. And she points out there are other diet changes that can have a much bigger impact on your health than cutting diet drinks from the menu.
Gutman says, "Go toward a Mediterranean diet. Add olive oil and fish a few times a week, stay away from fried food, get your weight down and exercise."
Experts say when in doubt water is the best thing to drink. The study was presented today in L.A. at an international stroke conference. While many doctors are skeptical about the results they do say it warrants further study.
