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Sweeteners and Faster Brain Aging: Post Checked
A viral post says sweeteners age the brain 1.6 years faster. The Neurology study is real but observational, has been corrected, and did not study cancer.
Original commentary from the Cancer Explained editorial team.
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“Six common sugar substitutes, including aspartame, are linked to faster decline in memory and thinking — about 1.6 extra years of brain aging. Researchers at the University of São Paulo followed 12,772 adults across Brazil, with an average starting age of 52, for about eight years. The six linked to faster decline were aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol. A seventh, tagatose, showed no link. This is an observational study based on self-reported diets, so it shows a link, not proof that sweeteners harm the brain.”
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An Instagram post from @hashem.alghaili, posted around October 30, 2026, says that sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol are linked to faster cognitive decline, about 1.6 extra years of brain aging. It describes a University of São Paulo study of 12,772 adults over about eight years, a "62% faster" decline in the highest-intake group, and no link for tagatose.
What's real
The study exists. It was published in Neurology on September 3, 2025 (Gonçalves and colleagues, 2025;105(7):e214023). It followed 12,772 Brazilian adults, average age about 52, in three rounds of testing between 2008 and 2019. Diet was recorded with a food questionnaire covering seven low- and no-calorie sweeteners. Thinking skills were checked with six tests.
The post's main points match the paper and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) press release:
- Aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, sorbitol and xylitol were each linked to faster decline in global thinking scores. Tagatose was not.
- The link appeared in people under 60. It was not found in people 60 and older.
- The highest-intake group averaged 191 mg a day. The lowest averaged 20 mg a day. The AAN says 191 mg is about the aspartame in one can of diet soda.
- The AAN ties the highest group's decline to about 1.6 years of aging, and the middle group's to about 1.3 years.
What's missing or wrong
The 62% figure has been corrected. A commenter raised this, and it is right to ask. PubMed lists two errata for the paper: one in Neurology on December 9, 2025 (2025;105(11):e214393) and one dated August 25, 2026 (2026;107(4):e218380). The AAN press release now says "Corrections were made on July 30, 2026" and gives the highest group's decline as 63% faster and the middle group's as 36% faster. Early coverage reported 62% and 35%. The post's 62% matches the older figure.
We could not open the erratum notices themselves. PubMed shows only that they exist, and the journal site refused our request. So we cannot say exactly what each one changed, and we cannot confirm every other number in the paper. Check the journal's corrections before quoting a figure.
"Faster decline" is not "brain age." The "1.6 years" is the AAN's way of translating a faster rate of decline on test scores. Nobody's brain was scanned or dated. It describes a group average.
It cannot show cause. This was an observational study. People who use many sweeteners may differ in weight, diabetes, diet and other habits. The authors list limits: self-reported diet, loss of participants over time, and "residual confounding," meaning other factors the analysis could not fully remove. The AAN says the study shows association, not cause.
Not every sweetener was studied. The AAN notes that not all sweeteners were included. Sucralose and stevia were not among the seven.
The post may read like a cancer warning. It is not. This is a brain study. It did not measure cancer.
What the evidence says about sweeteners and cancer
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) page on artificial sweeteners, last reviewed August 29, 2023, says the FDA approved six: saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame and advantame. It says the FDA found "no evidence that these sweeteners cause cancer or other harms in people."
- Aspartame: In June 2023 IARC classified it Group 2B, "possibly carcinogenic to humans," on limited evidence. NCI says the expert committee JECFA left the acceptable daily intake unchanged, and the FDA disagreed with IARC's classification. Large cohort studies such as NIH-AARP showed no clear link.
- Saccharin: Linked to bladder cancer in rats at high doses. NCI says it was removed from the US list of anticipated human carcinogens in 2000 and that no clear evidence links it to bladder cancer in people.
- Acesulfame-K: One French cohort, NutriNet-Santé, found a slightly higher overall cancer risk in users. NCI says no other studies have looked at this in people.
- Sucralose: NCI says studies found no evidence it causes cancer in people.
- Diet drinks overall: NCI calls the results inconsistent, with only weak evidence of an association.
The NCI page we opened does not cover erythritol, xylitol or sorbitol, so we make no cancer statement about them. For more, see do artificial sweeteners cause cancer? and aspartame and cancer. Our earlier page on this same study is Sweeteners and Thinking Skills. Note that it gave a different average intake (about 92 mg a day, which is the average across all participants, not the highest group).
What to do with this
Nothing here is a reason to change what you drink because of cancer. If you want to cut back on sweeteners, that is a fair personal choice. Water is a simple swap. If you have diabetes, ask your care team before changing how you manage sugar. If you are worried about your memory, ask a doctor about testing. Do not rely on one viral post.
If you have a fever of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher during cancer treatment, call your care team right away. For emergencies, call 911.
Sources
- Instagram post (@hashem.alghaili): instagram.com
- PubMed, Gonçalves et al., Neurology 2025;105(7):e214023 (PMID 40902134): pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMed, erratum, Neurology 2025;105(11):e214393 (PMID 41197106): pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMed, erratum, Neurology 2026;107(4):e218380 (PMID 42531540): pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- American Academy of Neurology press release: aan.com
- National Cancer Institute, "Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer": cancer.gov
- Cancer Explained, Sweeteners and Thinking Skills
How this article was prepared
An AI-assisted editorial system helped prepare this page. It used PubMed records, the AAN press release and the NCI page, opened on October 31, 2026. The journal's full text and the erratum notices were not readable by us. No named medical reviewer has reviewed it unless one is listed.
Cancer Explained is published by the National Cancer Information Foundation. It is not medical advice and does not suggest a test or treatment.
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Put the story in context
Prevention, possible warning signs, screening, and diagnosis
This story relates to Artificial sweeteners. The information below is general, and not every point applies to every cancer. Personal advice depends on age, symptoms, family history, exposures, and medical history.
Prevention and risk reduction
Not every cancer can be prevented. Avoiding tobacco, protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation, limiting alcohol, staying active, and receiving recommended HPV or hepatitis B vaccination can lower the risk of certain cancers. A risk factor is not a prediction or a cause in one individual.
Symptoms and possible early signs
Possible signs vary and are often caused by conditions other than cancer. Changes worth discussing include a new lump, unexplained bleeding or weight loss, a persistent cough, lasting bowel or bladder changes, a changing skin spot, or symptoms that persist or worsen. Some early cancers cause no symptoms.
Screening and early detection
Screening looks for certain cancers before symptoms begin. Recommended tests exist only for some cancers and depend on age and risk. Screening can have benefits and harms; it is not the same as evaluating a new symptom, and there is no single routine scan or blood test that reliably screens for every cancer.
How cancer is diagnosed
Diagnosis may involve a history and exam, imaging, laboratory tests, and often a biopsy. Pathology can identify the cancer type and may test biomarkers that guide treatment. Symptoms, screening results, tumor markers, or online stories alone cannot confirm cancer.
A news story may encourage questions, but it should not be used to estimate your risk or choose testing. Contact a healthcare professional about a persistent or concerning change. Seek urgent care for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.