How many years do artificial sweeteners age the brain?

Those who used the highest levels of artificial sweeteners – the equivalent of just one can of diet soda a day – had significantly reduced ability to remember and recall words.

Artificial sweeteners are often used in ultra-processed, low-sugar foods and specialized products for people with diabetes - Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya/Unsplash

"People who consumed the most low-calorie or no-calorie artificial sweeteners showed a 62% faster rate of cognitive decline than those who consumed the least, equivalent to 1.6 years of brain aging," said Dr. Claudia Kimie Suemoto, lead author of the study, associate professor of gerontology and director of the Aging Research Biobank at the School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (Brazil).

Sweeteners are often marketed as "healthy"

Those in the highest group consumed an average of 191 milligrams, or about 1 teaspoon, of artificial sweeteners per day.

According to research published in the journal Neurology , artificial sweeteners are commonly used in ultra-processed low-sugar foods and specialized products for people with diabetes.

“The assumption that low- or no-calorie sweeteners are safe alternatives to sugar can be misleading, especially when they are widely found in products marketed as ‘healthy,’” says Dr. Thomas Holland.

According to CNN, researchers analyzed the diet and cognitive abilities of nearly 13,000 Brazilians between the ages of 35 and 75.

Dietary information was collected at the start of the study. Participants also completed a series of cognitive tests three times over an average of eight years. The tests assessed language fluency, working memory, verbal recall, and processing speed.

Working memory is the ability to hold information needed to perform complex mental tasks such as learning, reasoning, and problem solving; it is often measured by asking participants to remember a series of words or numbers.

Language fluency is the ability to quickly and spontaneously produce appropriate words when speaking; it is often measured by asking the participant to name as many words as possible that begin with a particular letter.

People with diabetes are at higher risk

For people with diabetes, memory and cognitive decline is even more pronounced. Diabetes itself is a strong risk factor for cognitive decline, which can make the brain more vulnerable to harmful effects, Suemoto said.

“More research is needed to see if other refined sugar alternatives, such as applesauce, honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar, might be effective options,” she adds.

When the researchers analyzed the results by age, they found that people under 60 who consumed the most sweeteners had faster declines in language fluency and overall cognition. However, this finding did not apply to people over 60.

“This suggests that diet in midlife, decades before symptoms of cognitive decline appear, may have lifelong consequences for brain health,” Holland said.

DAWN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chat-tao-ngot-nhan-tao-khien-nao-bo-gia-di-bao-nhieu-nam-20250906052354834.htm