Artificial Sweeteners May Accelerate Cognitive Decline

SadaNews - Researchers from Brazil have warned that some artificial sweeteners may cause unexpected consequences for brain health in the long term.

Researchers discovered that individuals who consumed high amounts of artificial sweeteners experienced a faster decline in thinking and memory skills compared to those who consumed less; moreover, this association appeared stronger among diabetic patients.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Department of Geriatrics, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo in Brazil, and its results were published in the Neurology journal on September 3, as reported by Newsweek magazine.

The researchers examined the consumption of 7 artificial sweeteners commonly found in ultraprocessed foods, such as flavored water, sodas, energy drinks, yogurt, and low-calorie desserts.

The sugar substitutes and sugar alcohols studied were: acesulfame-K, aspartame, erythritol, saccharin, sorbitol, tagatose, and xylitol, which are sweeteners found in some food products and used as sweeteners.

Dr. Claudia Kimi Suimoto, the study's author from the University of São Paulo, stated: "Low-calorie or zero-calorie sweeteners are often viewed as healthy alternatives to sugar, but our results suggest that some sweeteners may have negative effects on brain health over time."

Tracking Language and Thinking Skills

The study included more than 12,000 adults from across Brazil, aged between 35 and 74 at the start of the study, all without dementia. Their average age was 52, and participants were followed for an average of 8 years.

Each participant completed questionnaires about their diet at the start of the study, detailing what they ate and drank in the past year, after which researchers divided them into 3 groups based on their total consumption of artificial sweeteners.

The consumption of the first group averaged 20 mg per day, representing the lowest consumption group, while the highest consumption group averaged 191 mg per day, with the last group being the moderate consumers.

The highest recorded aspartame consumption equated to one can of diet soda, and the highest sorbitol consumption was recorded at an average of 64 mg per day.

Participants underwent cognitive testing at the beginning, middle, and end of the study to track memory, language, and thinking skills over time, evaluating aspects such as verbal fluency, working memory, word recall, and processing speed.

After accounting for factors such as age, sex, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, researchers found that those who consumed the most sweeteners experienced a 62% faster decline in thinking and general memory skills compared to those who consumed the least.

Those in the moderate consumption group showed a 35% faster decline than the lowest consumption group.

Suimoto told Newsweek: "We hypothesize that artificial sweeteners may stimulate processes like nerve inflammation, neurodegeneration, or disruptions to the brain-gut axis."

Prevention is Better than Cure

Animal studies suggest that aspartame may lead to neuroinflammation, while sugar alcohols like erythritol and sorbitol may alter gut microbiota and weaken the blood-brain barrier.

Researchers found that individuals under 60 who consumed large amounts of sweeteners showed a faster decline in verbal fluency and general cognition compared to those who consumed less.

Suimoto added, noting that this finding was surprising: "This underscores the importance of understanding dietary habits early in adulthood, where preventive strategies can have the greatest impact."

They also found that the association with accelerated cognitive decline was stronger among participants with diabetes than among those without it.

When examining individual sweeteners, the consumption of acesulfame-K, aspartame, erythritol, saccharin, sorbitol, and xylitol was associated with a faster decline in general cognition, particularly in memory.

Suimoto confirmed: "While we found links between cognitive decline in middle-aged individuals, both diabetic and non-diabetic, diabetics are more likely to use artificial sweeteners as sugar substitutes."

While the study shows a connection between the use of certain artificial sweeteners and cognitive decline, it does not establish that artificial sweeteners are the cause.

Source: Newsweek