New research in JCI Insight found that low-calorie sugar substitutes negatively impacts the developing brain and the gut, with memory impairment possible.
The study was conducted at the University of Southern California (USC).
“While our findings do not necessarily indicate that someone should not consume low-calorie sweeteners in general, they do highlight that habitual low-calorie sweetener consumption during early life may have unintended, long-lasting impacts,” said a USC expert in a news release.
The study was based on experimentation on adolescent rodents in which it aligns with previous findings that indicate sugar consumption may lead to lingering memory impairment.
Researchers used methods to test object recognition and spatial recognition among its test subjects.
“The researchers say they intend to explore ways to reverse the long-lasting effects of adolescent low-calorie sweetener consumption and to study how it influences food choices and preferences later in life,” the study’s authors stated in a news release.
