Sweeteners may accelerate cognitive decline

Sweeteners have been the subject of debate for many years regarding their safety. They're once again under fire. This time, a study raises concerns about their long-term effects on brain health. Published September 3 in Neurology , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, it suggests that people who consume the highest amounts of sweeteners experience an accelerated decline in their memory and thinking abilities compared to those who consume less. An effect equivalent to 1.6 years of premature cognitive aging, according to Claudia Kimie Suemoto (University of Sao Paulo) and her colleagues.

Aspartame, sorbitol... Sugar substitutes are consumed every day by millions of people, in yogurts, desserts, water, sodas, and more. These food additives, which are used in ultra-processed foods, provide a sweet taste by reducing the added sugar content, and therefore the number of calories. Some are also used as sweeteners alone.

The research team followed 12,772 participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brazil) cohort of civil servants, with an average age of 52 at the start of the study, over three phases over eight years. The volunteers initially completed a detailed questionnaire about their dietary habits. Seven sweeteners—aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, and tagatose—were studied. Their average consumption was 92 milligrams/day/person, with sorbitol being the most commonly used.

The result: At the end of the eight-year follow-up, subjects with the highest intake (about 191 milligrams/day) showed a 62% faster decline in their overall thinking and memory skills than those in the lowest intake group (an average of 20 milligrams/day). The decline was even more pronounced among people with diabetes.

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