Sept. 2 (UPI) -- People who consume the highest levels of artificial sweeteners during middle age show the fastest declines in cognitive functions, such as memory, as they move into their senior years, according to a study released Wednesday.
The study of nearly 13,000 middle-aged Brazilian adults who were followed for an average of eight years revealed that those who consumed the most aspartame, saccharin and five other kinds of sweeteners experienced cognitive declines at a 62% faster clip than those who consumed the lowest amounts, the researchers said.
That difference equates to about 1.6 years of aging, according to the study published in the journal Neurology.
The link between sweeteners and the rapidity of decline was even stronger in people with diabetes, particularly for memory loss.
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