Popular Sugar Substitutes Linked to Faster Brain Aging
Summary
A study from the University of Sao Paulo followed nearly 13,000 adults for eight years and found that people who consumed the highest amounts of certain low- and no-calorie sweeteners had faster declines in thinking and memory skills. The research shows a link between sweetener intake and brain aging but does not prove these sweeteners cause cognitive decline.Key Facts
- The study included 12,772 adults with an average age of 52.
- Researchers tracked the use of seven sweeteners: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, and tagatose.
- Participants who consumed the most sweeteners had a 62% faster decline in brain function than those who consumed the least.
- The faster brain aging was about 1.6 additional years compared to low consumers.
- The link was stronger in adults younger than 60 and in people with diabetes.
- Tagatose was the only sweetener not linked to cognitive decline.
- The study measured thinking skills like memory, word recall, processing speed, and verbal fluency.
- The research shows association but does not prove that sweeteners cause cognitive problems.
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