Artificial sweeteners linked to accelerated cognitive decline, study finds

A study published in the journal Neurology suggests a link between the consumption of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) and accelerated cognitive decline. Researchers followed 12,772 adults in Brazil over an eight-year period to track changes in brain health.

The findings indicated that participants under the age of 60 who regularly consumed these sweeteners showed a faster decline in verbal fluency and global cognition. Specifically, the group with the highest consumption levels experienced cognitive decline 62% faster than the lowest consumption group. One significant finding noted that an amount of aspartame roughly equivalent to one can of diet soda was associated with an additional 1.6 years of cognitive aging.

While the study identified links between six of the seven sweeteners tested—including aspartame, saccharin, and xylitol—with cognitive decline, tagatose did not show a similar association. Researchers emphasized that the study does not prove a direct causal relationship and noted that other health factors, such as diabetes, may influence the results. Dr. Claudia Kimie Suemoto of the University of São Paulo stated, “Low- and no-calorie sweeteners are often seen as a healthy alternative to sugar, however our findings suggest certain sweeteners may have negative effects on brain health over time.”