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A recent study revealed that artificial sweeteners may be aging the human brain by 1.6 years. For the study, over 12,000 middle aged Brazilians were being measured over the span of eight years for their self-reporting intake of aspartame, saccharin, acesulfate-K, erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol and tagatose.
To figure out the impact of consuming artificial sugars, they had the group take cognitive tests at the beginning, middle and end of the study. The tests measured the group’s memory, word recall, processing speed and verbal fluency.
The study found that those who consumed higher amounts of artificial sugars experienced cognitive declines 62% faster than those who consumed the lowest amounts. Those who had diabetes had an even stronger decline, particularly for memory loss.
Adults over 60 appeared to have no effects from consuming artificial sweeteners. This suggested that consuming artificial sweeteners during midlife-when most adults start to care about their health and weight-may cause lifelong consequences for brain health.
Though the names of these artificial sweeteners may seem unfamiliar, they tend to be in products such as diet sodas, sugar-free sodas, sugar-free gums, mints, yogurts, puddings, packaged protein bars, protein shakes, low calorie desserts such as ice cream and candies, salad dressings, sauces and condiments.
Some popular drinks that contain some of these sweeteners are Alanis, which contain erythritol, Diet Coke which contains Aspartame and Monters, which contain erythritol as well.
Artificial sugars do not cause severe health problems, but if someone has phenylketonuria, then they could be at risk for serious health problems because their body cannot break down the aspartame if a drink contains it. If someone has bowel disease then consuming artificial sweeteners may cause their symptoms to flare up.
Alternatives for Artificial Heavy Foods
The Today website lists some healthier ideas for sugar swaps such as:
- Instead of diet soda, try sparkling water with lemon, lime, or fresh berries.
- Instead of flavored “light” yogurt, choose plain Greek yogurt and stir in a teaspoon of Nutella, cinnamon or fresh fruit.
- Instead of sugar-free protein bars, opt for ones that are lower in added sugar or make your own energy bites.
