Artificial Sweeteners May Accelerate Brain Ageing By 1.6 Years, Study Warns

A new study has warned that consuming beverages with artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharin, may impair the brain's memory and word recall abilities. Despite their popularity as low-calorie sugar substitutes, these artificial sweeteners could harm cognitive health with regular use.

Published in the journal Neurology, the study highlights that people who consumed the largest amount of sweeteners saw a 62 per cent faster decline in their cognitive abilities, which is equivalent to having aged 1.6 years.

People in the highest tier consumed an average of 191 milligrams, or about 1 teaspoon, of artificial sweeteners each day. Notably, a can of diet soda contains around 200 to 300 milligrams of sweetener, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

"People who consumed the most low- or no-calorie sweeteners showed a 62 per cent faster global cognitive decline than those who consumed the lowest amount, that's the equivalent of 1.6 years of brain ageing," the study stated.

"Our findings suggest the possibility of long-term harm from low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCs) consumption, particularly artificial LNCs and sugar alcohols, on cognitive function."

The researchers analysed nearly 13,000 people in Brazil, with an average age of 52 for the study. The dietary information of participants was collected at the beginning of the study, and several cognitive tests were performed three times over an average of eight years. Apart from diet soda, the sweeteners studied were also found in flavoured water, low-calorie desserts and energy drinks.

"Participants in the middle tier had a 35 per cent faster rate of global cognitive decline, which is about 1.3 years of ageing than people who consumed the lowest amount of these sweeteners," the study added.

Watch: Indian Entrepreneur Tests Scooter In Flooded Street, Internet Says 'When You Get Lemons'

Diet soda and diabetes

Last month, an Australian study found that drinking just one can of diet soda, which contains sweeteners, could raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 38 per cent. It added that the risk from artificially sweetened soft drinks was even greater than that from regular sugary drinks, which were linked to a 23 per cent higher risk.

While the link between sugary drinks and diabetes could largely be explained by obesity, the connection between artificially sweetened drinks and type 2 diabetes remained strong even after adjusting for body weight, suggesting a potentially direct effect on metabolism.