Diet soda danger: New study links sweeteners to rapid brain aging

A daily dose of diet soda may shrink your recall. Brazilian researchers found that midlifers consuming artificial sweeteners suffered a staggering 62% drop in verbal memory performance.

It’s not aging—it might be aspartame. New data shows that just 191 mg of sweeteners a day (less than one can of diet soda) could fast-track your brain by nearly two years.  

That sugar-free treat might be a neurological time bomb. Sweeteners like saccharin and erythritol are linked to faster cognitive decline—even in people under 60.

You won’t feel it—until you forget. Sweeteners may disrupt the blood-brain barrier, leaving neurons exposed to inflammation and oxidative stress, key drivers of memory loss.  

Cutting sugar shouldn’t mean cutting cognition. Sweeteners often found in “health” foods may quietly compromise memory, mood, and even neurotransmitter balance, experts warn.

Once “generally recognized as safe,” sweeteners like aspartame and erythritol are now being probed for cancer and clotting risks. Add cognitive decline to that growing list.  

Your brain remembers what your gut forgets. Artificial sweeteners may disrupt microbiome balance, which regulates inflammation and cognitive signaling through the gut-brain axis.

People consuming higher levels of sweeteners aged 1.6 years faster cognitively—without showing physical symptoms. The worst part? Most didn’t even realize it.

They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And they may be hurting your brain. Despite FDA approval, mounting evidence shows these sweeteners might be more threat than treat.