Study links artificial sweeteners to faster cognitive decline
9 reported
A study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, has found an association between higher consumption of several artificial sweeteners and faster declines in memory and thinking skills over time. The research followed nearly 13,000 adults in Brazil for about eight years and examined seven common low- or no-calorie sweeteners. People who consumed the largest total amounts of these sweeteners experienced a 62% faster decline in overall cognitive abilities compared to those who consumed the least, a difference researchers estimated was comparable to roughly 1.6 additional years of aging. The association was especially strong among participants under 60 and those with diabetes. However, the study’s authors stressed that the findings show a link, not proof that sweeteners cause cognitive decline, and that more research is needed.
What’s reported
The study included 12,772 adults living in Brazil, with an average age of 52, monitored for approximately eight years.
Researchers examined seven sweeteners: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, and tagatose.
Participants in the highest consumption group averaged 191 mg/day of total sweeteners; the lowest group averaged 20 mg/day.
The highest intake group showed a 62% faster decline in overall thinking and memory abilities than the lowest group, comparable to about 1.6 additional years of aging.
The middle consumption group showed a 35% faster decline than the lowest group, comparable to about 1.3 years of aging.
Among participants under 60, those who consumed the most sweeteners experienced faster declines in verbal fluency and overall cognitive performance; no such association was found in those over 60.
The link between sweetener intake and faster cognitive decline was stronger among people with diabetes than those without.
Six sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol) were linked to faster declines in overall cognition, particularly memory; tagatose was not linked to cognitive decline.
The study was observational and does not prove that sweeteners cause cognitive decline.
Key figures
Claudia Kimie Suemoto, MD, PhD, of the University of São Paulo in Brazil, study author.
Sources: ScienceDaily
