These facts have been the catalyst for droves of people over the years to switch from regular to diet soda, the seemingly healthier alternative.

A 2017 study published in the journal Stroke found that diet sodas lead to a higher risk of dementia.

The study kept track of 1,484 people over the age of 60 for a 10-year period and found that those who drank diet soda every day (compared to less than once a week) were three times more likely to develop the disease.

The study did not only look at dementia, but also at the stroke risk that comes with regularly drinking diet soda, and found similar results.

They found that those who drank at least one diet soda a day were also about three times more likely "to have an ischemic stroke, caused by blood vessel blockage.".

"The important point is that an observational study like this cannot prove that drinking artificially-sweetened drinks is linked to strokes or dementia, but it does identify an intriguing trend that will need to be explored in other studies," Pase said in an accompanying commentary from the American Heart Association (AHA), per The Washington Post.

Pase also noted that it was a small study: Only 3 percent of the people had a new stroke and 5 percent developed dementia.

It found that whether diet or regular soda, you can start seeing these negative cognitive side effects from just two drinks per day.