Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Not so sweet: Some sugar substitutes linked to faster cognitive decline
Medical Xpress / American Academy of Neurology / Neurology ^ | Sept. 3, 2025 | Natalia Gomes Gonçalves et al / Thomas Monroe Holland

Posted on 09/21/2025 7:47:26 PM PDT by ConservativeMind

Some sugar substitutes may come with unexpected consequences for long-term brain health, according to a study. The study examined seven low- and no-calorie sweeteners and found that people who consumed the highest amounts experienced faster declines in thinking and memory skills compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts.

The link was even stronger in people with diabetes.

The artificial sweeteners examined in the study were aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose.

The study included 12,772 adults from across Brazil. The average age was 52, and participants were followed for an average of eight years.

Researchers divided them into three groups based on the total amount of artificial sweeteners they consumed.

The lowest group consumed an average of 20 milligrams per day (mg/day) and the highest group consumed an average of 191 mg/day. For aspartame, this amount is equivalent to one can of diet soda. Sorbitol had the highest consumption, with an average of 64 mg/day.

After adjusting for factors, researchers found people who consumed the highest amount of sweeteners showed faster declines in overall thinking and memory skills than those who consumed the lowest amount, with a decline that was 62% faster. This is the equivalent of about 1.6 years of aging. Those in the middle group had a decline that was 35% faster than the lowest group, equivalent to about 1.3 years of aging.

When researchers broke the results down by age, they found that people under the age of 60 who consumed the highest amounts of sweeteners showed faster declines in verbal fluency and overall cognition when compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts. They did not find links in people over 60.

They found no link between the consumption of tagatose and cognitive decline.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: cognitivedecline; sugarsubstitute; tagatose
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last
They did not find the brain aging link in people over 60–just under that age.

The artificial sweeteners examined in the study were aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose.

Tagatose was the only one that had no problems, but that is a hard sweetener to find right now.

1 posted on 09/21/2025 7:47:26 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; jy8z; ProtectOurFreedom; matthew fuller; telescope115; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

Email me to get on either the “Common/Top Issues” (20 - 25% fewer pings) or “Everything” list.

2 posted on 09/21/2025 7:48:20 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

Use honey or the real cane stuff…

IN MODERATION.


3 posted on 09/21/2025 7:50:56 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

What was this about again?


4 posted on 09/21/2025 8:01:00 PM PDT by TBP (Decent people cannot fathom the amoral cruelty of the Democrat cult.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

I’m using either liquid stevia or allulose.

Allulose is an interesting one, so-called “rare sugar”. Not being a concentrate, it is substituted 1:1 for powdered sugar.


5 posted on 09/21/2025 8:02:14 PM PDT by C210N (Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

People will do anything to protect these substances.


6 posted on 09/21/2025 8:05:21 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

People will do anything to protect these substances.


7 posted on 09/21/2025 8:05:23 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

People will do anything to protect these substances.


8 posted on 09/21/2025 8:05:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

I’ve never found a sugar substitute that didn’t leave an awful aftertaste.


9 posted on 09/21/2025 8:06:01 PM PDT by CaptainK ("No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up” )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

Monk Fruit Sweeter works good


10 posted on 09/21/2025 8:11:24 PM PDT by Java4Jay (The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Java4Jay

Monk Fruit and Stevia are not artificial. I am surprised that Sucralose was not included in the study.


11 posted on 09/21/2025 8:18:47 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Sivana

I make a distinction between liquid and powdered stevia - the latter typically with erythritol, to determine the degree of being natural or artificial sweeteners.


12 posted on 09/21/2025 8:26:12 PM PDT by C210N (Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I was going to say something funny about short-term memory loss, but I forgot what it was. :-[


13 posted on 09/21/2025 8:43:24 PM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Sivana
I am surprised that Sucralose was not included in the study.

Or plain sugar for that matter, the sugar daddy of death.

14 posted on 09/21/2025 8:43:54 PM PDT by Reeses
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

Was the study paid for by the manufacturer of tagatose?


15 posted on 09/21/2025 8:45:23 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind
Too funny!   They didn't even tested Sucralose because they knew that it couldn't cause cognitive decline because it is produced by chlorination of sucrose, selectively replacing three of the hydroxy groups—in the C1 and C6 positions of the fructose portion and the C4 position of the glucose portion.

Table salt is Na-Cl, and Sucralose is C12-H19-Cl3-O8.   No big deal.

16 posted on 09/21/2025 8:51:36 PM PDT by higgmeister (In the Shadow of The Big Chicken! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Reeses

It’s all bad. I have a real sweet tooth and after reading our new Surgeon General Dr. Casey Means book (if the damn Senate would please confirm her!), I’ve given up nearly all of it. It takes a willingness to try new things and adapt but was much easier than I expected. Losing 20 pounds and bringing cholesterol numbers below normal is the payoff.

Read “Good Energy” and you’ll know what MAHA is based on.


17 posted on 09/21/2025 8:54:22 PM PDT by bigbob (We are all Charlie Kirk now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: C210N
powdered stevia - the latter typically with erythritol

We use "Stevia Select", which is 100% Stevia. You must use a tiny spoon for a cup of coffee, like the old McDonald's coffee spoons before they were used for cocaine.
18 posted on 09/21/2025 9:09:53 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: BradyLS

Who am I?


19 posted on 09/21/2025 9:31:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

The cane stuff is no healthier.

Poison in moderation is still poison. In this case, the damage is cumulative over time.


20 posted on 09/21/2025 9:39:41 PM PDT by mlo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson