new study<\/a> out of Brazil is linking them to cognitive decline.<\/p>\n![\"Delicious](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GUS2RRYM7JAKNIIV3M3D7QYT4Q.jpg\")
The relationship between sweetener intake and cognitive decline was found to be stronger in participants with diabetes, compared with those without. (Image: Getty\/psdphotography)Do sweeteners damage brain health?<\/p>\n
A new study, conducted by scientists at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo, has analysed the impact of seven widely used sweeteners \u2013 aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, and tagatose \u2013 on the brain.<\/p>\n
And while results didn\u2019t show that sweeteners directly damage the brain, they did highlight an \u201cassociation\u201d between the two.<\/p>\n
\u201cLow- and no-calorie sweeteners are often seen as a healthy alternative to sugar,\u201d says study author Dr Claudia Kimie Suemoto. \u201cHowever, our findings suggest certain sweeteners may have negative effects on brain health over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
To explore the long-term effects, the researchers followed 12,772 adults from across Brazil over eight years.<\/p>\n
At the start, participants completed detailed diet questionnaires, covering what they had eaten and drunk over the previous year. They were then grouped by levels of artificial sweeteners they\u2019d consumed.<\/p>\n
The lowest intake group averaged 20 milligrams per day (mg\/day). The highest intake group averaged 191 mg\/day.<\/p>\n
Candidates also took cognitive tests at the beginning, middle, and end of the study. These assessments tracked several skills that tend to change with ageing and brain health, including how well they processed, held, and recalled information.<\/p>\n
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, the researchers found that the highest intake group declined 62% faster in overall thinking and memory than the lowest intake group. The difference, they said, was comparable to around 1.6 years of ageing. <\/p>\n
The middle intake group also declined faster than the lowest intake group, with a 35% faster drop \u2013 equivalent of around 1.3 years of ageing.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, a clear impact pattern emerged, when the data was analysed by age.<\/p>\n
Age and health matters<\/p>\n
Under 60s, who consumed the highest levels of sweeteners, were found to experience steeper drops in verbal fluency and overall cognitive performance compared with those who consumed the least. By contrast, no significant association was observed in over 60s.<\/p>\n
The relationship between sweetener intake and cognitive decline was also found to be stronger in participants with diabetes, compared with those without.<\/p>\n
![\"Stack](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/QGYZSXVA2ZDOBLGJKVXDYXGG6Y.jpg\")
Higher consumption of aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-k, erythritol, sorbitol and xylitol was linked to faster declines in overall cognitive function, especially memory. (Image: Getty\/carlosgaw)Which sweeteners are worse?<\/p>\n
Looking at individual sweeteners, higher consumption of aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-k, erythritol, sorbitol and xylitol was linked to faster declines in overall cognitive function, especially memory. <\/p>\n
Tagatose was the only sweetener studied that did not show an association with cognitive decline.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile 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,\u201d says Dr Suemoto. \u201cMore 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The authors were quick to highlight several study limitations. First, the analysis didn\u2019t include every type of artificial sweetener on the market. Second, dietary information was self-reported, meaning there may have been inaccuracies.<\/p>\n
What does this mean for manufacturers?<\/p>\n
For food and beverage makers, these findings add yet another layer of complexity to an already heated conversation. <\/p>\n
Regulators around the world continue to deem approved sweeteners safe at current intake levels. But what\u2019s considered safe in one region may not be in another. Some regulators take a more precautionary approach, and acceptable daily intake levels can vary as a result \u2013 adding to the confusion. Added to this, ingredients once considered uncontroversial can quickly come under new scrutiny.<\/p>\n
This puts manufacturers in a difficult position. On the one hand, sweeteners remain valuable formulation tools \u2013 helping brands hit sugar\u2011reduction targets, meet HFSS regulations, and satisfy consumer expectations around taste and calorie count. On the other, growing scientific uncertainty and declining consumer trust risk undermining the very innovations these ingredients enable.<\/p>\n
Moreover, terms like \u2018clean label\u2019 and \u2018natural\u2019 are fast becoming powerful purchasing drivers, meaning brands that rely heavily on artificial or bulk sweeteners may face a fall in sales.<\/p>\n
In short, the sweetener debate isn\u2019t going away. If anything, it\u2019s just getting started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sweetener safety \u2013 summarySweeteners widely used across food products now face growing scientific scrutinyNew Brazilian study links higher…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":329898,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[74861,163,85,46],"class_list":["post-329897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-frozen-food","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/329898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=329897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=329897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}