"Artificial sweeteners and brain aging: What we know so far."

Can artificial sweeteners actually be harmful to health? And can consuming them on the regular affect our memory and thinking skills? Although a new link found between sugar alternatives and brain aging requires more study, it may warrant some concern. MNT speaks to a physician and researcher to dive deeper into the matter and discuss In Conversation.

Artificial sweeteners come in many different names and forms — as liquids or powders, as sucralose, erythritol, aspartame, and more. They are consumed by millions of people around the world, and especially by people with diabetes.

The main reason behind the recommendation for people with diabetes to swap sugar for sugar alternatives is that the latter are believed to cause fewer blood sugar spikes.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved several artificial sweetenersTrusted Source, including saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame, as well as sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol, and plant-based sugar substitutes like stevia and monk fruit, as safe for consumption.

However, in recent years, more and more research has emerged about the possible long-term health effects of consuming sugar alternatives.

The most recent one was a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, which found that the sweeteners — aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitolTrusted Source — were linked to declines in memory and overall thinking skills that were equivalent to about 1.6 years of brain aging.

Information from:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/artificial-sweeteners-and-brain-aging-what-we-know-so-far#2

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