Sugar substitutes may fuel younger adults' dementia
If you are younger than 60, you probably aren't thinking much about the risk of developing cognition problems or dementia (although I think you should). But every time you sip flavored water, soda, energy drinks, or eat yogurt or a low-calorie dessert sweetened with aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-k, erythritol, sorbitol or xylitol, you may be contributing to a decline in your overall thinking, verbal fluency and memory skills. And if you have diabetes, the risk to your brain power posed by those artificial sweeteners can be even greater.
A study published in the journal Neurology followed almost 13,000 folks and found that those under age 60 who said they loaded up on those artificial sweeteners were likely to experience a decline in brain power that was 62% faster than folks who avoid the fake sugars!
The sweet news is they found no association between the artificial sweetener tagatose and declining cognition. Tagatose is formed when milk is heated and has minimal impact on blood sugar levels. It is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as generally safe.
But your best bet for indulging your sweet tooth is to embrace the flavor (and nutritional power) of berries, citrus, and stone fruits (if you can eat them). Add them to salads, soups, sauteed fish and chicken dishes, and blender drinks. Check out the Vanilla Shake and Vitality Smoothie recipes in my "What to Eat When Cookbook." And to discover 30-plus powerful ways to protect yourself from dementia, sign up for the free newsletter at 4YOUngevity.com.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.
(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Comments