An American Academy of Neurology account published by ScienceDaily on Oct. 29, 2026 describes a study of seven low- and no-calorie sweeteners published in Neurology in 2025. According to the account, researchers analyzed 12,772 adults across Brazil. Participants were 52 years old on average at the start and were followed for approximately eight years.
Participants recalled what they had eaten and drunk during the previous year, allowing researchers to estimate their intake of the seven sweeteners at the start of the study. They took cognitive tests at three points during the follow-up. After adjusting for factors including age, sex, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, researchers found a 62% faster decline in overall thinking and memory test performance in the highest-intake group than in the lowest. The account equates that difference to approximately 1.6 additional years of cognitive aging. That is a comparison of test performance, not a direct measure of biological brain aging.
The account reports associations for six of the seven sweeteners examined: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, sorbitol and xylitol. It reports no association for tagatose, though that does not establish that tagatose is safer. The link appeared among adults younger than 60, but not those older than 60, and was stronger among people with diabetes.
The findings show an association, not cause and effect. Participants’ dietary recollections may not accurately reflect what they consumed, and other factors could help explain the relationship despite the researchers’ adjustments.
