Do sweeteners affect your brain?

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I’ve talked extensively in the past about the health risks associated with the use of artificial sweeteners.

However I was still surprised by the findings of this new study which looked at the impact of stevia, sugar and artificial sweeteners on brain function.

They took a group of young and healthy women and men. They made them give up sugar and sweeteners for a week, then tested a range of brain functions.

They then split the group into 3 groups and gave them one of the 3 sweeteners daily for 6 weeks:

  • Group 1: Sugar

  • Group 2: Sucralose (e.g Splenda, Canderel, etc)

  • Group 3: Stevia

At the end of the 6 weeks, they tested their brain function again:

  • Group 3 (Stevia): no change in brain function, memory, or attention

  • Group 1 (sugar): significant decrease in encoding memory

  • Group 2 (Sucralose): significant decrease in overall memory, encoding memory, as well as executive functions

(“Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things”).

In addition, Group 2 showed a increase in the brain’s “theta wave”: in neurology, this is typically seen when people have head injuries or learning disorders.

Bottom line:

  • Daily sugar use = decrease in encoding memory

  • Daily Sucralose use = decrease in overall memory, encoding memory, executive functions, and increase in brain waves typically seen in brain injuries or learning disorders.

Worth it?


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