Your brain ages 18 months faster than the rest of your body if you’re consuming high levels of artificial sweeteners—often seen as healthy low-sugar alternatives—found in processed foods and sodas.
People who consume sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin are suffering a rapid decline in their thinking and memory skills.
The decline in cognitive abilities is 62 percent faster in those consuming large amounts of sweeteners, which is equivalent to a brain that is 1.6 years older, say researchers from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
The mental decline was especially acute in diabetics, who are consuming more low-sugar alternatives.
They looked at the diets and cognitive abilities of 12,772 adults with an average age of 52, and tracked the consumption of seven artificial sweeteners, typically found in ultra-processed foods like flavoured water, soda, energy drinks, yogurt and low-calorie desserts.
The artificial sweeteners were aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose—and they are often seen as ‘healthy’ sugar-free alternatives to sucrose, which are recommended for people with diabetes or who want to lose weight.
The lowest amount being consumed was an average of 20 mg per day (mg/day) and the highest was an average of 191 mg/day. For aspartame, this is equivalent to one can of diet soda, while sorbitol had the highest consumption, with an average of 64 mg a day.
What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community
Great news! Discounts are available based on your cart total. Check the details below:
