Media reports of President Donald Trump's love of fast food, Diet Cokes, and extra desserts have dogged him since the primaries — a questionable diet he does little to deny. A recent New York Times article stated he drinks 12 Diet Cokes a day.

The president has a long-standing habit of drinking Diet Coke. Back in 2012, he tweeted that although Diet Coke is "garbage" and "tricks your body into eating more," he said he would continue to enjoy his guilty pleasure.

He isn't the first president to indulge a junk food habit. Although Trump and former President Bill Clinton may not share many political opinions, they do — or did — share similar diets.

Clinton regularly surrendered to Big Mac attacks and enjoyed drinking Diet Coke during his presidency, but got diet "religion" after being diagnosed with coronary artery disease in 2004 and undergoing quadruple artery bypass surgery. When he suffered chest pains in 2010 which resulted in two coronary stents being implanted, Clinton became a vegan. 

Is Trump's Diet Coke habit a real danger to his health? And if so, what business is it of ours?

"Yes, drinking Diet Coke, especially in the large amounts reported, is a definite danger to his health," Dr. Russell Blaylock, former neurosurgeon and author of The Blaylock Wellness Report newsletter, tells Newsmax Health. "And since he's our president, his health is our business, too."

Family physician Dr. David Brownstein also sees drinking Diet Cokes as a health danger. "Artificial sweeteners are a disaster," says Brownstein, author of Dr. David Brownstein's Natural Way to Health. "They’re known to cause neurological problems, autoimmune disorders, and many other dangerous conditions.

"If I were President Trump's physician, I'd advise him to do whatever it takes to ditch diet drinks."

Why the concern? First of all, numerous studies show that aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in Diet Coke, harms the brain. And since Trump is an older American, the damaging effects are more pronounced.

"The evidence of the damage they do is profound, and if he doesn't get off this stuff, he's going to end up demented," says Blaylock. "I've seen people who had to be institutionalized with dementia because they drank large amounts of aspartame."

But quitting can be a problem for many people. "You can't get people to stop drinking them because they are addictive," he says.

"Diet Coke contains aspartame which is addicting. It's an excitotoxin, and excitotoxins are the driving force for addiction.

"If you're drinking 12 drinks a day, that's a powerful addicting force."

In addition to causing neurological problems, aspartame also increases the risk of cancer. "Two big cancers — lymphoma and leukemia — are the two most associated with diet drinks, but another big danger is pancreatic cancer," he says.

"Pancreatic cancer is exploding because people are drinking tons of these drinks. They don't just drink one a day; they are swilling massive amounts of it.

"President Trump can break this addiction. All he needs is to be convinced that he's killing himself, and that his habit may ruin his mind.

"I've gotten a number of people off aspartame, and they were amazed at how their brain power improved, and how much more clearly they could think."

Numerous studies have found that diet drinks increase the odds of many conditions, especially those associated with aging, in addition to dementia and cancer. They include obesity, diabetes, stroke, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, and weak bones.

How can President Trump — or anyone else with a Diet Coke addiction — kick the habit?  Here are six suggestions:

• Drink unsweetened tea and coffee, hot or cold. Both give an energy boost, and green tea and coffee also supply valuable antioxidants.

• Try seltzer water. If you miss the "fizz" of soft drinks, drink seltzer water. Add a splash of lemon or lime to dress it up.

• Opt for natural beverages. Choose naturally carbonated, fruit-flavored beverages or make your own by mixing 100 percent fruit juice half-and-half with carbonated water for a sweet fizzy drink that's good for you.

• Drink herbal teas. Herbal fruit teas, brewed strong, provide a flavorful, satisfying pick-me-up.

• Sweeten drinks with natural sweeteners. Sucanat, raw honey, Stevia, and Xylitol are all good choices, says Brownstein.

• Choose water. Healthy and cheap, water is perhaps the best drink of all. If plain water is a bit too boring for you, add mint, lime, or lemon for flavor. "Water is the best choice," says Brownstein. "It'll make you healthier."

Blaylock adds that Trump observes many other health habits.

"President Trump appears to be generally health-conscious, since he doesn't smoke or drink," says Blaylock. "But he needs to quit drinking Diet Coke immediately.

"Those of us who admire the president want him to be healthy for many years to come. He will improve his chances, especially of remaining mentally sharp, if he stops drinking Diet Coke.