Large study links common artificial sweeteners to faster memory decline
A large new study published in Neurology links several widely used artificial sweeteners to faster decline in memory and thinking. Researchers followed nearly 13,000 adults for about eight years and found the heaviest consumers declined 62% faster than the lightest, roughly 1.5 y
Researchers reporting in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, followed nearly 13,000 adults with an average age of 52 for about eight years, comparing those who consumed the most low- and no-calorie sweeteners with those who consumed the least. After adjusting for age, sex, blood pressure and heart disease, the heaviest consumers showed memory and thinking skills declining 62% faster than the lightest, a gap researchers likened to about 1.5 years of extra brain aging. The link was even stronger in people with diabetes. Sweeteners examined included aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose. Because the study was observational, it shows an association rather than proof that sweeteners cause the decline. Sources: Neurology (AAN), American Academy of Neurology press release, Harvard Health, ScienceDaily.