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Share on Pinterest<\/a>How do artificial sweeteners affect brain health? This podcast episode delves into the research. Illustration by Andrew Nguyen for Medical News Today.<\/p>\nArtificial sweeteners<\/a> come in many different names and forms \u2014 as liquids or powders, as sucralose, erythritol, aspartame, and more. They are consumed by millions of people<\/a> around the world, and especially by people with diabetes<\/a>.<\/p>\n The main reason behind the recommendation for people with diabetes to swap sugar<\/a> for sugar alternatives is that the latter are believed to cause fewer blood sugar spikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved several artificial sweeteners<\/a>, including saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame, as well as sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol, and plant-based sugar substitutes like stevia and monk fruit, as safe for consumption.<\/p>\n However, in recent years, more and more research has emerged about the possible long-term health effects<\/a> of consuming sugar alternatives.<\/p>\n The most recent one was a study published in Neurology<\/a>, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, which found that the sweeteners \u2014 aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K<\/a>, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol<\/a>, and tagatose<\/a> \u2014 were linked to declines in memory and overall thinking skills that were equivalent to about 1.6 years of brain aging.<\/p>\n Such research has stirred controversy and concern among the public, but does this mean people should stop consuming artificial sweeteners altogether? And what other possible effects could they have on health?<\/p>\n