Popular sugar substitutes linked to faster brain aging — SkimNews
SkimNews Take
The 1.6-year brain-aging figure is a population average from observational data, which can't separate whether sweeteners directly affect cognition or simply flag broader dietary patterns already tied to cognitive decline.
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- Researchers tracked 12,772 Brazilian adults averaging age 52 for approximately eight years, finding that those in the highest sweetener consumption group (averaging 191 mg/day) experienced 62% faster cognitive decline than the lowest group — roughly 1.6 additional years of aging.
- Seven sweeteners were examined — aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose — and six were individually linked to faster declines in overall cognition, particularly memory; tagatose was the only one not associated with decline.
- Study author Claudia Kimie Suemoto, MD, PhD, of the University of São Paulo, said the findings suggest certain sweeteners 'may have negative effects on brain health over time,' while stressing more research is needed before drawing causal conclusions.
- The age effect was pronounced: the association between sweetener intake and faster cognitive decline appeared in adults under 60 but was not detected in those over 60, and was stronger among participants with diabetes.
- The highest group's aspartame intake was roughly equivalent to the aspartame in one can of diet soda per day — a moderate rather than extreme consumption level, a dosage detail the study highlights.
- Key limitations include the observational design (which cannot prove causation) and reliance on self-reported dietary data, which can be imprecise, according to the study published in Neurology.
Why it matters: Roughly 12,772 adults followed for eight years showed a dose-response pattern: middle consumers declined 35% faster than the lowest group, and highest consumers declined 62% faster, even after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension and cardiovascular disease — suggesting the link isn't confined to extreme users. For the millions of middle-aged adults and people with diabetes who routinely reach for diet sodas and sugar-free products as a 'healthier' alternative, the findings introduce a credible trade-off to weigh against blood-sugar management.
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