Artificial sugar alternatives and sweeteners, may make your brain age faster

Artificial sugar substitutes, such as aspartame and saccharin, commonly found in low-calorie sodas and desserts, may carry long-term effects on the brain, a new study has found. 

People who consumed the highest amounts of artificial sweeteners commonly showed a faster decline in cognitive skills, such as thinking and memory, than those who consumed the lowest amounts, according to the study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. 

The decline was about 62 per cent faster, roughly equivalent to 1.6 years of ageing, the research found. 

“Low- and no-calorie sweeteners are often seen as a healthy alternative to sugar, however, our findings suggest certain sweeteners may have negative effects on brain health over time,” study author Claudia Kimie Suemoto, associate professor in the discipline of geriatrics at the University of São Paulo (Brazil), said in a statement. 

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