Theresa Rowley, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, celebrated her 104th birthday with a cake on January 1. Rowley swears that the secret to her longevity is drinking Diet Coke every day.
‘When I was 100, I thought I’d never been 104,’ she said. ‘Then I turn 101, and nothing happens… Here I am 104, and still, nothing happens.’
Rowley, a home care resident revealed she consumes at least one can of the soda a day.
‘I drink it because I like it,’ she explained. ‘I’m going shopping Wednesday, and I need more Diet Coke. I have a bag full of empty Diet Coke cans that I need to return to buy more Diet Coke.’
Illinois-born Ms. Rowley would have been 68 when Diet Coke was launched in the US in 1982.
Scientists disagree that the beverage had helped give her another 36 years of life because diet soda has repeatedly been linked to obesity, diabetes, stroke, and dementia in studies.
Theresa Rowley, from Michigan, believes that the secret to longevity is drinking Diet Coke every day
On Tuesday morning, Ms. Rowley celebrated her 104th birthday in style by enjoying cake along with members of her retirement community
The 104-year-old has stayed in the same retirement home for the past 15 years
Research suggests diet drinks could cause people to put on weight and trigger diabetes
Warnings of diet drinks
Diet drinks can cause people to put on weight and trigger diabetes despite being low-calorie. Modern diet soda confuses the human body because there is nothing natural in them, scientists say.
A low-calorie drink is still as sweet as the normal version, the mismatch can send our metabolisms haywire.
Yale University researchers say in nature, sweetness signals the presence of energy so that the sweeter something tastes, the more calories it contains.
Adults who have at least one diet drink a day are three times more at risk for stroke or dementia, research suggests.
This chart breaks down how much of each of various kinds of artificial sweeteners were used in different soft drinks in 2010 (Source: Diabetes Self-Management, ‘Diet Soft Drinks’ by Mary Franz, MS, RD, LD)
The study of almost 4,400 adults by Boston University in April also suggests diet drinks are more likely to cause strokes and dementia than those full of sugar. Scientists say diet drinks should no longer be regarded as the healthier alternative and urge the public to stick to water or milk.
The researchers aren’t encouraging us to drink them either despite the fact that there was no link between sugary beverages in either of the illnesses.
The team believes the artificial sweeteners including aspartame and saccharine affect the blood vessels, eventually triggering strokes and dementia.
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