Overview
- Researchers at the University of São Paulo followed nearly 13,000 adults for eight years and reported the findings in the journal Neurology.
- Six sweeteners — aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol — were associated with faster declines while tagatose showed no link.
- Participants who averaged about 191 milligrams of sweeteners per day, roughly the amount in a can of diet soda by common estimates, had about a 62% faster overall cognitive decline than those averaging 20 mg per day.
- The association was stronger for adults under 60 and for people with diabetes, groups that commonly use sugar substitutes, but the study is observational and does not prove the sweeteners caused the decline.
- Authors and reporters say further research is needed to replicate the findings, test biological mechanisms, and assess whether changes in product formulation or dietary advice are warranted.