Diet sodas are not the lesser evil; they are just as evil as regular soda, and some argue they are actually worse.

Linking low- or zero-calorie soft drinks to specific illnesses is tricky, and researchers are cautious to call them flat-out dangerous or point to cause and effect. It is not always clear if the problem is the drink itself or if it is the result of other factors, such as obesity.

Though the cause of the problem many not be definitive, no health experts will recommend drinking diet soda instead of, say, water or juice. The undeniable fact is that soft drinks offer little to no nutritional value.

The ingredients in diet soft drinks that may actually harm you are the artificial sweeteners. The brain does not differentiate between real and fake sugar — it’s all sweet, and this is the problem. Sweet cravings, and increased appetite for calorie-rich food, ensue.

Despite the potential serious health effects, diet soda remains a very popular drink. Although sales have decreased slightly, around one in every five Americans report drinking the sugary beverage on a regular basis. Consumption increases with age and income. Senior citizens who have an income of $75,000 or more a year are the most likely to drink diet colas.

To identify 10 reasons why people should stop drinking diet soda, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed scores of medical studies and meta-analyses in journals published by nonprofit health organizations, such as the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Associations, which examine the health effects of artificially sweetened beverages.

Click here to see the 10 reasons you may never want to drink diet soda again.