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Sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened beverages and changes in cognitive function in the SUN project
This 2020 study focused on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and artificially-sweetened beverages (ASBs), which are often seen as the “healthy” alternatives to SSB. It longitudinally assessed the association between the consumption of the two with cognitive function. A subsample of the ‘Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra’ (SUN) cohort of university graduates aged over 55 years old was evaluated using the Spanish Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (STICS-m) at two-time points, separated by 6 years. Consumption of SSB and ASB was appraised using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. A significant association was identified between the consumption of SSB and alterations in cognitive function, with a -0.43 difference (p = 0.04) in those that consumed >1 beverage a month compared to never/seldom consumers. Although the association was not found to be significant for the consumption of ASBs, declines in cognition were suggested. The researchers also call for further exploration into the potential mechanisms in which these beverages can be harmful in addition to supplementation in longitudinal studies on relationships between the SSBs, ASBs, and cognitive function. [NPID: cognition, sugar, artificial sugar, artificial sweeteners, cognitive function, cognitive decline]
Year: 2020
