A recent study has found that there may be a link between artificial sweenters and dementia.
When it comes to having a warm cup of coffee or tea in the morning, everyone has their own preference. While some people prefer a strong brew to wake them up in the early hours, others are only able to stomach it when sweeteners are added in.
While some may think they are making a better choice for their health by adding an artificial sweetener to their drink instead of a teaspoon of sugar, a recent study has found that certain sweeteners may actually be having a negative effect on your brain in your later life.
Published in the journal Neurology, the research found that a high consumption of sugar in adults appears to have a link to an increased risk of developing dementia in your elder years, reports the Mirror. While a variety of intake levels were tested, those in the highest group equaled around “1.6 years of ageing”.
On top of this, another study also found that even those under the age of 60 could be at an increased risk of developing memory loss. Meanwhile, in terms of broader health, high consumption of aritificial sweeteners could have a negative impact on younger adults as well.
The study included 12,772 adults, which equated to an average age 52-years-old, who were tracked over eight years. From the research, it was found that certain sweeteners appeared to link to faster rates of cognitive decline.
Scientists in the study looked into seven different sweeteners to see what impact it would have on the brains of the participants. This included:
- aspartame,
- saccharin,
- acesulfame-K,
- erythritol,
- xylitol,
- sorbitol, and
- tagatose
The research found that out of the seven sweeteners tested, only tagatose did not have a link to faster cognitive decline. At the beginning of the study, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires about their diets. From there they were split into three groups – low, medium, and high sweetener consumption.
On average, the lowest group consumed around 20mg of sweetener a day, while the highest group consumed as much as 191mg in a single day.
In order to test the brain’s power, each group took cognitive tests at the start, middle and end of the study. These tests were designed to assess six cognitive functions, such as word recall, memory, and verbal fluency.
Also taking into account factors such as age, gender and blood pressure, the research showed a link between a higher consumption of six low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCs) and the risk of dementia, especially amongst those under 60.
Participants in this group experienced cognitive decline 65 per cent faster than those in the lowest LNCs consuming groups. Meanwhile the middle group showed a 35 per cent change in comparison.
The paper added: “Daily consumption of LNCs was associated with accelerated decline in memory, verbal fluency and global cognition.” This effect also seemed to be stronger amongst those with diabetes.
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Study author Professor Claudia Kimie Suemoto explained: “While we found links to cognitive decline for middle-aged people both with and without diabetes, people with diabetes are more likely to use artificial sweeteners as sugar substitutes.
“More research is needed to confirm our findings and to investigate if other refined sugar alternatives, such as applesauce, honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar, may be effective alternatives.”
She added: “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.” However, more tests will need to be conducted to find the cause.
The NHS states that “all sweeteners in Great Britain undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink. All approved sweeteners are considered a safe and acceptable alternative to using sugar”.
The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) further shared in a statement that said: “This research is an observational study, which can only show a statistical association, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The reported link between sweetener consumption and cognitive decline does not prove that one causes the other.”