CNN —

People who consumed the highest levels of certain artificial sweeteners — equivalent to just one diet soda a day — saw a significant decline in their ability to remember and recall words when compared to people who consumed the lowest levels, a new study found.

"People who consumed the most low- or no-calorie sweeteners showed a 62% faster global cognitive decline than those who consumed the lowest amount — that's the equivalent of 1.6 — years of brain aging," said lead study author Dr. Claudia Kimie Suemoto, an associate professor of geriatrics and director of the Biobank for Aging Studies at the University of São Paulo's Medical School in Brazil.

People in the highest tier consumed an average of 191 milligrams, or about 1 teaspoon, of artificial sweeteners each day. To put tha

See Full Page