These Artificial Sweetener Can Accelerate Brain Ageing, Reveals Study

Use of low or zero-calorie sweeteners has become a common practice in these days. Whether you're trying to manage your weight or keep your blood sugar steady, these sweeteners are everywhere, often hiding in plain sight. Diverse names like sucralose, erythritol, and aspartame are quite common on ingredients list in both liquid and powder form in muntiple foods and drinks. With so many different names and variations, it's surprisingly easy for artificial sweeteners to sneak into your daily diet without you even noticing. They are most commonly used in harmful doses in zero-calorie drinks (drinks with little to no calories) as they operate on the principle of providing zero to no calories but with flavour. But now the ingredient that is providing flavour to these drinks can affect your brain and how it ages. That means millions of people who consume zero-calorie drinks may be harming their brains by consuming artificial sweeteners.

Unpacking The Research: Artificial Sweeteners and Brain Ageing

But the main point of contention is to raise a question on how these artificial sweeteners, labelled as "healthier alternatives," are silently damaging our brains. The answer is they are ageing at a faster pace, as per the recent study in Neurology, the medical journal of The American Academy of Neurology(2025), which found that the consumption of sweeteners is directly linked to brain ageing. The artificial sweeteners that are ageing your brain are as follows:

• Aspartame
• Saccharin
• Acesulfame-K
• Erythritol
• Xylitol
• Sorbitol

These artificial sweeteners were linked to declines in memory and overall thinking skills. The exact figure based on the research is equivalent to about 1.6 years of brain ageing.

The Food and Drug Administration has also approved several artificial sweeteners, 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.

The most high-risk groups that consume the most artificial sweeteners according to their requirements span across various age groups. As children consume artificial sweeteners present in a lot of candies and chocolates, alongside consuming zero-calorie drinks and carbonated drinks makes it is a worrying combination. So, this recent research finding signals a greater need to regulate the addition of artificial sweeteners in popular foods. And the large population of people dealing with diabetes also means that a major chunk of Indians are unknowingly causing harm to their brains, but under the assumption that they are not consuming plain sugar, so artificial sweeteners are better.

The Potential Mechanisms Of Brain Ageing

When it comes to the science that proves this link. The study in Neurology, the medical journal of The American Academy of Neurology (2025), details the observation, which means that among the pool of people analysed over an extended period of time, who consumed artificial sweeteners had accelerated aging of their brains by 1.6 years. This is important to understand as the study shows a correlation, but it is not the sole cause of accelerated brain aging, as an individual's whole diet and dietary habits need to be considered, which can influence results.

The three leading possible explanations of what the researchers have found can be detailed as follows:

Now, when it comes to the main culprit that is responsible for adding artificial sweeteners in great quantities to your diet, you need to look at the composition of zero-calorie drinks.

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Zero-Calorie Drinks: The Main Culprit

You can be fooled by the zero-drink labels, such as labels of diet sodas have a variety of artificial sweeteners listed as flavours. The main thing to understand is how daily habits like consuming a can of soda, a carbonated drink, or any zero-calorie drink can result in combined cognitive decline. This manifests in midlife, typically as the data pool of this research suggests, as the combined effects of total consumption habits are compounded. In turn, this leads to cognitive decline at a fast pace in middle-aged people.

Practical Swaps To Zero-Calorie Drinks

It is practical to check your daily intake by performing a sweetener audit. As most sweeteners are present not only in zero-calorie drinks but also in ultra-processed foods like:

The key to combating the hidden presence of artificial sweeteners is to read the label and know the alternative names that can disguise their presence on a can of carbonated soda or zero-calorie drinks.

Brain-friendly Alternatives

Instead of Diet Soda: Sparkling water with fruit/citrus, but only to be consumed if you don't have any pre-existing gastric issues, as the acidic nature of sparkling water can cause digestive issues.

A more universally tolerant alternative is unsweetened tea derived from natural sources like hibiscus, bergamot, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, and many more can be consumed. The main aspect that helps with consuming unsweetened tea is that the sweetener can be added manually in controlled amounts for flavour.

Instead of Flavoured Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt or hung curd with real fruit or a touch of natural sweeteners like monk fruit or stevia, or even a small amount of honey or maple syrup can help.

Focus on Whole Foods: A diet rich in whole grains, leafy greens, and colorful fruits ( like the Mediterranean diet is best to regulate and control the effects on brain aging.

The main takeaway from this recent research finding is that artificial sweetener consumption is linked to a faster cognitive decline in middle age. While the science in this aspect is still developing, a cautious food-centric approach is the best long-term strategy for brain health.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

References:

Mehta, S., Kashyap, A., & Das, S. (2009). Diabetes mellitus in India: the modern scourge. Medical Journal Armed Forces India. 

Millichap, J. (1997). Aspartame and Brain Tumor Risk. Pediatric Neurology Briefs. https://pediatricneurologybriefs.com/articles/10.15844/pedneurbriefs-11-1-4