If you’re 50+ and trying to cut back on sugar, diet soda can feel like the “responsible” choice.
Same bubbles, same ritual, fewer calories.
So when headlines start whispering diet soda and dementia… It’s unsettling.
Let’s take a breath and walk through what the research actually suggests, what it doesn’t prove, and what to do instead (without turning your life into a sad glass of plain water).
What the new study found (in plain English)
A new analysis from the Northern Manhattan Study followed adults who were dementia-free at the start (average age was mid-60s) and tracked who developed dementia over time (PubMed).
Here’s the headline-grabbing part:
People who drank more than 1 diet soda per day had a higher dementia risk estimate compared to those who drank 1 or less per day (PubMed)
The association showed up in non-Hispanic White and Black participants, but not Hispanic participants in this cohort (PubMed)
That’s the signal that’s getting attention.
The part the headlines leave out (and it matters a lot).
When researchers excluded participants with obesity or diabetes, the link between frequent diet soda and dementia was no longer significant (PubMed).
That raises a big, important possibility:
Diet soda may be a marker, not the cause.
In real life, many people switch to diet drinks because they’re already dealing with blood sugar issues, weight changes, or cardiometabolic risk.
Those same conditions are also linked to brain health and dementia risk over time.
So the “chicken or the egg” question is still on the table:
Are diet sodas contributing to risk, or are higher-risk people more likely to choose diet soda?
Is this brand-new news or part of a bigger pattern?
This study lines up with earlier research that also found a link between artificially sweetened beverages and a higher risk of stroke and dementia in a different population (AHAR Journals).
But zoom out, and you’ll see the bigger truth:
The science is mixed.
Some studies and meta-analyses show clearer links for sugar-sweetened beverages and cognitive issues (PubMed).
Other research points to concerns with low/no-calorie sweeteners and cognitive decline, but still can’t prove cause-and-effect (American Academy of Neurology).
So the most honest answer right now is:
This is a meaningful signal, but not a definitive verdict.
Who should pay the most attention (especially after 50)?
If any of these apply to you, this is worth taking seriously (without panic):
Prediabetes or type 2 diabetes
Insulin resistance, belly weight gain, or metabolic syndrome
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, or vascular risk
You’re drinking 2+ diet sodas a day, most days
Why: these are the conditions where brain-protective habits have the biggest payoff, and where “daily diet soda as a default drink” may not be the best long-term strategy (PubMed).
What to do instead (realistic swaps that don’t feel like punishment)
You don’t have to go from “two diet sodas a day” to “a life of water sadness” overnight.
Think: reduce the default, not the joy
1) Use the step-down plan (the easiest win)
Week 1: if you’re at 2/day, go to 1/day
Week 2: 1/day becomes 4–5 days/week
Week 3: aim for “occasionally,” not “automatically”
This works because your brain is attached to the ritual as much as the taste
2) Make sparkling water taste like a treat
Try:
Seltzer + lemon or lime + lots of ice
Seltzer + splash of 100% juice (just enough for flavor)
Seltzer + muddled berries or cucumber slices
3) Do the “grown-up soda” swap
Unsweetened iced tea (herbal or black) over ice
Add orange slices, mint, or a cinnamon stick
If you need sweetness, start small and taper
4) If cravings hit at the same time every day, replace the routine
Common trigger times: mid-afternoon slump, after dinner, during TV time.
Instead of white-knuckling it, try a new ritual:
A short walk
A mug of something warm (peppermint tea is surprisingly satisfying)
A protein-forward snack (cravings calm down when blood sugar steadies)
5) Keep it simple: protect the brain with the “big rocks.”
If you want the highest ROI after 50, focus here:
Keep blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol supported
Strength train and practice balance (seriously, it’s brain-friendly too)
Prioritize sleep and daily movement
If you want gentle ways to build that routine, this pairs beautifully with my (all designed for consistency, not punishment).
And if “cutting sugar” is part of a bigger health reset, my 5-Ingredient Fatty Liver Diet Cookbook was made for that simple, steady, real-food approach.
So… should you quit diet soda?
If you have one occasionally, this isn’t a reason to spiral.
If you’re drinking it daily (especially 2+ a day), the safest, most balanced takeaway is:
Treat it as an occasional beverage, not your main hydration plan
Prioritize the metabolic basics that protect your brain over the long haul (PubMed)
