Using artificial sweeteners might speed the process of cognitive decline, according to researchers in Brazil.
In a recent study, eating more low- and no-calorie sugar substitutes was linked to a faster decline in thinking abilities and memory skills.
The link was even stronger in people with diabetes.
The study results appeared in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
In the study, the researchers examined seven substitutes commonly found in products such as flavored water, soda, energy drinks, yogurt and low-calorie desserts:
- Aspartame
- Saccharin
- Acesulfame-K
- Erythritol
- Xylitol
- Sorbitol
- Tagatose
More than 12,700 people in Brazil with an average age of 52 were part of the study. The researchers followed the participants for an average of eight years.
The participants filled out questionnaires in which they recounted their dietary habits. The researchers divided these participants into three groups — highest, middle and lowest — based on the amount of artificial sweeteners they consumed.
The lowest group consumed an average of 20 milligrams per day, and the highest group consumed an average of 191 milligrams per day. For reference, one 12-ounce can of diet soda contains about 200 milligrams of aspartame.
Participants received cognitive testing at three points during the study period.
Those who consumed the most artificial sweeteners experienced cognitive decline that was 62% faster than those who consumed the least. The researchers say the difference was equivalent to about 1.6 years of aging.
Those in the middle group had a 35% faster decline than those in the lowest group, which is equivalent to around 1.3 years of aging.
The researchers say people under the age of 60 who consumed the highest levels of artificial sweeteners showed the fastest decline in verbal fluency and overall cognition, but that such links were not found in people over the age of 60.
In addition, one of the sweeteners tested — tagatose — was not associated with cognitive decline.
The researchers emphasize that although there was a link between the use of artificial sweeteners and cognitive decline, they could not prove that the sugar substitutes directly caused the decline.
In a summary of the study findings, study author Dr. Claudia Kimie Suemoto of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil says:
“More research is needed to confirm our findings and to investigate if other refined sugar alternatives, such as applesauce, honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar, may be effective alternatives.”
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