The Case Against Sugar Substitutes Just Got More Interesting

Sickly Sweet: We’re sorry to be a downer, diet soda drinkers. Science has added another wrinkle to the already complicated story of sugar substitutes. Specifically, a recent study published in Neurology shows a potential link between regular consumption of these additives and faster cognitive decline.

The Study: Researchers followed nearly 13,000 adults in Brazil for eight years, testing cognitive function at three points throughout the study. People who consumed the highest amounts of common sugar substitutes showed cognitive decline an astonishing 62% faster than those in the lowest-intake group. That gap works out to roughly 1.6 additional years of cognitive aging, with memory and verbal fluency hit hardest.

The Takeaway: This adds to a growing body of research that suggests heavily processed, artificially sweetened products may not be as benign as their “zero calorie” labels suggest. If diet drinks and low-cal packaged snacks are a daily thing for you, it might be worth considering your overall ultra-processed food intake and how you can cut back.

Keep in Mind: This study doesn’t definitively prove that sugar substitutes cause cognitive decline. So there’s no need to spiral over an occasional Diet Coke, but watch out for heavy, habitual consumption over time.