High consumption of artificial sweeteners is associated with a 62% faster rate of cognitive decline, equivalent to roughly 1.6 years of brain aging, particularly in individuals under 60 and those with diabetes. Research indicates that daily intake of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCs) like aspartame and saccharin may negatively impact memory, verbal fluency, and overall cognitive function.
Key Findings on Cognitive Decline
- Faster Brain Aging: A study published in Neurology tracked 12,772 people for eight years, finding that the highest consumers of artificial sweeteners experienced significantly faster cognitive decline.
- Impact on Under-60s: The link was most pronounced in adults under 60, suggesting that midlife dietary habits could have long-term consequences for brain health.
- Specific Sweeteners: Consuming aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-k, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol was associated with a faster decline in overall cognition, especially memory. Tagatose was not linked to cognitive decline in this research.
- Dose-Dependent: The study showed that even moderate, daily consumption (e.g., one diet soda/day) was linked to faster declines, with higher intake (around 191 mg/day) corresponding to a 62% faster rate of decline.
Potential Mechanisms
Researchers suggest several ways artificial sweeteners may impact cognitive health, though they did not definitively prove that sweeteners cause the decline:
- Neuroinflammation: Some studies suggest that certain sweeteners may trigger inflammation in the brain.
- Gut-Brain Axis Disruption: Sugar alcohols may alter gut microbes and, consequently, the gut-brain axis.
- Blood-Brain Barrier: Some artificial sweeteners might compromise the blood-brain barrier.