Overview

• Published in Neurology, the analysis followed 12,772 Brazilian adults aged 35–74 for about eight years with repeated tests of memory, language and processing speed.
• Those with the highest intake of low- and no-calorie sweeteners averaged 191 mg per day—about one can of diet soda’s worth of aspartame—and showed a 62% faster global decline, roughly equal to 1.6 years of additional aging.
• The association was stronger in people with diabetes and was observed primarily in adults under 60, with no significant links detected in participants over 60.
• Six compounds—aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, sorbitol and xylitol—were tied to faster decline, while tagatose showed no association.
• Limitations include self-reported diet and omission of some sweeteners such as sucralose and stevia; authors urge mechanistic, neuroimaging and randomized studies as industry bodies stress that the study does not prove causation.