The Artificial Sweeteners That May Have A Negative Effect On Your Brain

You rely on your brain to do more than just make awesome decisions that get you promoted at work or help you remember the grocery list you left at home. (Again.) The brain also sends signals to countless parts of your body, enabling you to function normally. This is why degenerative cognitive conditions like Alzheimer's disease (the most prevalent type of dementia) cause death. As Alzheimer's progresses, it gradually but permanently damages different parts of the brain, eventually producing a cascading body failure effect.

Though you can't completely reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or another kind of dementia, you can make lifestyle choices aimed at protecting your brain. For instance, you can choose to avoid foods that may have a connection with cognitive decline — which may include seven artificial sweeteners. 

A 2025 study in Neurology looked at the brain health effects of consuming artificial sweeteners in 12,772 adults over the course of eight years. The participants reported when and how much acesulfame K, aspartame, erythritol, saccharin, sorbitol, tagatose, or xylitol they ate, and also completed cognitive assessments. Researchers found an association between consuming artificial sweeteners and a decline in widespread cognitive abilities and language. Participants with diabetes also appeared to be affected in terms of their memory.

The negative brain effects were particularly noticeable in participants who hadn't reached age 60 yet. Study author Dr. Claudia Suemoto explained (via Today) that "cognitive performance peaks around the third decade of life, between 25 and 30 years old, and after that there is a very slow, gradual decline in function." She added that, per the findings, consuming sweeteners may hasten this cognitive decline, "even in middle-aged adults."

In response, the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) issued a statement, noting that the study had numerous limiting factors, like lumping all artificial sweeteners under one umbrella and relying on self-reported information. It's worth noting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes several of the artificial sweeteners in the study (such as acesulfame K, aspartame, and saccharin) as generally safe for consumption. 

Nonetheless, this isn't the first time that artificial sweeteners have been under the microscope as potentially harmful to human health. A 2022 study in PLoS Medicine found a correlation between consumption of acesulfame K and aspartame and increased cancer risk. And in 2023, a coalition of international entities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), named aspartame as a "possible" carcinogen.